Hero
by DJ The Serendipitous
Summary: Joelle O'Connell is self proclaimed the biggest coward in Japan. It's a shame that she has the ability to see spawn from hell. KuramaXOC Titled after Hero by Skillet
1. My Birth Defect

~Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 1: My Birth Defect

The thing that I've noticed about me is that I'm a chicken. That's right, Joelle O'Connell is the biggest coward to grace God's green earth. Five foot two and made of fail. In fact, I never argue. Even when my father, the famous George O'Connell, the spokesperson for every big electronics company in the world, wanted to move from beautiful Cali to Japan. I didn't argue. It seems pointless to me. I'll lose anyway.

Who is this coward? Me. Joelle O'Connell the Coward. There's no better way to explain it. Plain old me in a high school jumpsuit the color of what flower's puke, long blonde hair, freckles, and blue eyes. Believe me, I stand out in Japanese society. So much, in fact, that I have a cute little nick name. You'll die when you hear this. It's so original. Gaijin. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Hello, my name is "foreigner". In fact, no one ever calls me by my name. Not even the teachers. As far as anyone is concerned, my name is Gaijin no-last-name.

So you can imagine my surprise when, for the first time for two years, I heard someone call me by name.

I was reading a romance novel under my desk again. Call me a sap, but I enjoyed them. Derek was just about to propose his undying love to Claryssa, who was carrying his child, when my teacher announced we were working in partnerships on our history assignment. I blinked with watery eyes and looked across the aisle that was situated to my right to the guy sitting next to me. The guy that sticks bubble gum under his desk and plays Super Mario Bros. on the weekend by himself. Partners? What?

"I've already picked them out so there's no need to jump up and pick your friends." The teacher said over the hushed chatter that had started up.

My heart sank and I slumped a little in my chair. Great. Partners. I hated partner work. I usually ended up with some kid who only went to high school for the base ball and could care less that I was actually in there for a grade, so I ended up doing the work and…

My internal whining was cut off when the teacher started calling out names. I kept half an ear on him as I memorized my page number in my book. I loved numbers. Memorized them just like that.

"Gaijin and uh…Minamino!"

That gave me cause to pause. Wasn't Minamino that one guy all the girls liked? Smart, composed, probably had some deep dark secret that no one else knew…a Superman-esque boy that fit every bit of a girl's dream.

Whoa there, girl. You've been watching too many animes.

"Excuse me."

I looked up, shocked, as he pulled a desk up next to me. He had bright green eyes and long red hair, which looked dyed but hey, who was I to point fingers? Mine probably did too. He, as always, moved fluidly and sat on the desk, an act of nonchalance that surprised me.

"Joelle O'Connell, correct?" He smiled at me and I think I went into shock.

This was ridiculous! He was just some kid in my class that I'd been in for the past two years! It's not like I hadn't seen him before but suddenly…. He just looked a whole lot better. Must've been because he got my name right.

"Uh…yeah." I gathered my wits and smiled back clumsily. I'm pretty sure it looked like someone had killed something and plastered it on my face in hopes that maybe it could be used as something pleasant. "You know my name?" I blurted out and then almost slammed my palm into my face. Dumbest thing ever. Worse, this was turning out just like Twilight. The Kirsten Stewart version.

Minamino blinked once and raised an eyebrow. "Yes. I do."

There was an awkward silence after that and I must confess, I actually started to think about Abraham Lincoln. I smiled briefly and cupped my head in my hand, looking out the window.

"Something funny?" He asked.

"Oh, it's just that um…" I put my hands in my lap and twisted them nervously. "In America, there's a saying that if there's an awkward silence in a conversation, someone is undoubtedly thinking about Abraham Lincoln."

He smiled at that. "The president during the Civil War?"

"Yes." I said, amazed that he knew that. Smart kid!

"That's amusing." He said in a way that made me think he was talking about some part in a comedic opera.

Then we started talking about our project. Actually, it was more me agreeing with anything Minamino said. He'd suggest something…I'd say okay…it was definitely a one sided process.

"….And I was thinking we'd have birds released as a finale and a few people do cartwheels in front while you do a song and dance number." He said airily.

"Okay-" I blinked. "Wait, what?"

He chuckled. "You keep agreeing with everything I say. I thought I might throw something odd in there to see if you acquiesced or not."

"Um, sorry." I said. I was a little busy staring at green eyes. I kinda realized then that it didn't matter what he said, as long as he talked and I could just stare at him, I was the happiest Gaijin this side of Japan.

The bell rang and he looked up. "Oh. We'll talk more tomorrow, I guess. Goodbye, Miss O'Connell."

"Bye." I said weakly as he walked away. This coward was smitten.

I regarded this slowly as I walked home after school, the sun setting in the sky. Yay for staying after to do homework. It's not like I wanted to go home anyway. Just my stupid older brother and the ever absent father… Mom was gone, living it up somewhere stateside.

I carefully ducked under a low branch as I smiled at the way the orange light decorated everything. The blossoms on all the trees were starting to bloom and the air was filled with a flowery scent that reminded me of warm nights back in California. I could've danced under those trees, if I wasn't such a stupid chicken.

I then I smelled it.

There was this underlying scent of rusted metal and blood that set my teeth on edge. It was somewhere around here, like the one kid that smelled of B. O. in a classroom of forty. I looked around, familiar with the stench. After all, it'd haunted me all my life.

See, for being a coward, I kinda had a reason to be. I could see things that everyone else couldn't. For example, sometimes when I saw people on the street, they had horns coming out of their head, or large teeth or a tail. They smelled terrible, like they belonged in a ditch somewhere. The more they smelled of dead bodies, the scarier they seemed. And they were always weird. I'd spent most of my life pretending to be like all the other humans on this planet and ignore these people, but sometimes a few of them caught up with me. I'd asked my mom as a kid who these strange people were and she gave me the simplest thing a catholic raised kid could understand: "They're demons, sweetheart."

Now, alone save the setting sun and the new blossoms over my head, I was enveloped by the smell of a demon. I looked around nervously, my heart stuttering as I tried to think of some way to get away without bothering this thing. I didn't want any trouble…I just wanted to go home… I picked up the pace, put my head down, and headed straight for home. Which honestly, had to be the stupidest thing I could do. Now the creep knew I was aware of his presence. He'd probably go in for the kill any moment…

The smell got stronger and my footsteps got faster. I noticed the people starting to thin out, as they usually did as I got closer to where I lived. Darkness swallowed the streets and the street lights came on. I started to hyperventilate. I saw what one of these things could do to a person one night when I had gone for a walk a year ago. I still have nightmares about the blood everywhere and the arm in the creature's hand…

I dry heaved and turned a corner where I was confronted by a tall dark man in a trench coat. I cried out and backed up a bit, confused and frightened.

There was no doubt this was the thing that had been stalking me. The smell was almost intolerable as the thing's face split into this large grin with pointed teeth. "Thought you could get away?" He – no, it – laughed and reached for me with clawed hand. I looked up at yellow eyes, too scared to move, and saw my placid reflection. There was no doubt my blood was going to stain its hands tonight. "You smell so good…You weak thing. I wonder why He was so afraid of you -?"

It choked as blood fountained from his jugular and his mouth, coating me as I screamed. His entire twisted, freaky little body convulsed and pitched forward towards me.

I scrambled backwards, scrapping up my elbows in a mad dash to get away from the corpse. My voice was pitched upwards in a soaring screech of words best left for people less ladylike, I suppose. I looked up as the street light flicked and saw the retraction of what looked like a thorn covered vine into the shadows. What the…?

Shuichi Minamino stepped over the twitching corpse towards me and I blinked in awe. No…that wasn't Minamino. Couldn't be. Minamino was just a kid. This person seemed more…mature, more…well, able to kill.

I turned my head to the side as a wave a nausea hit. I put my hand shakily up to my mouth and retracted it with horror as I saw how dark it had become with my attacker's blood.

"Are you alright?"

I looked up at him and I'm pretty sure I didn't look alright. My whole body was going cold and I could hardly keep a grip on reality.

He must've seen how badly I was faring because he squatted next to me. "I'm sorry you had to become a victim of this foul creature – "

"A demon." I murmured as black started to creep in the edges of my vision. "He was….a demon." And I fell backwards into blissful darkness.

There's an odd contentment that comes to me before I wake up, like I could stay there forever and no one would care about the little coward and her blood stained hands…

Blood.

I shot up, gasping as I scrubbed at my arms. "No…!" I squeaked as I found myself tangled up in...a blanket? I paused my frantic hysteria to take stock of where I was. I was lying on a couch, a blanket over top of me, in my living room, still in my school uniform. Was it all just a horrible nightmare? No. Couldn't be. I picked at the blanket as I tried to piece together how I got here. I drew a blank.

"Finally awake?"

I turned to see Minamino – no, the thing that was Minamino – sitting in a chair with his legs crossed. He seemed thoughtful and dangerous and I drew my legs underneath me unconsciously. He was incredibly intimidating. "What's going on? Why are you here?" I asked, but the last question died a little as it dragged out of my mouth. Who was I to demand answers? Just the coward that got mixed up in things I didn't need to know about.

"You went into shock and became unconscious so, naturally, I took you home. I'm very lucky your school books have your address written in them, otherwise, we wouldn't be here." He put his hands in his lap. "Your family seems strangely absent."

"They're never around." I admitted. Stupid. Now he can murder you without fear of anyone interrupting.

"I see." He studied me, making me feel self conscious as time dragged on. I inspected the edge of my skirt very carefully, wishing he'd just get it over with. My heart pounded in my chest until I could feel it in my fingertips.

"You're afraid." He observed.

I chose not to answer.

"Don't be." He spoke softer and I glanced up at him once. "I only wish to ask you some questions."

"I'm not that interesting." I almost whispered.

"But you can see demons." He replied.

"Birth defect." I shrugged. "Like down syndrome."

"That's highly unlikely." A wry smile crossed his lips. "Have you…always had this ability?"

I nodded.

"I see…and is this the first time a demon has attacked you?"

I paused, looking up. "Well…in a sense… a few of them tried to talk to me but I….well, I ignored them."

"Ignored them?" He raised an eyebrow.

"People think you're saner that way." I resumed picking at my skirt. This felt weird. A stranger questioning me in my own home?

"So you've never met that demon before?"

I shook my head.

He exhaled. "He'd been tracking you for quite a while."

"How do you know that?"

Minamino glanced at me, lacing his fingers together in front of himself. "Hm? Oh, I've been keeping tabs on him."

"Why….?"

"I was concerned about his behavior, so I investigated it." He said simply.

"So if he's been stalking me…" My brain fumbled as I put two and two together. "Are you kidding…?" I squeaked.

Newsflash: STALKING CLASSMATE KILLS INNOCENT GAIJIN IN OWN HOME.

"Oh!" I saw a slight blush creep on his features which made me think he was almost human. "No, I wasn't….it's not like I was…No." He finished finally.

"What are you?" I finally asked, abandoning the fringe of my skirt. Coward or not, I had a right to know. "Who are you?"

"I am Shuichi Minamino, or Kurama. I'm a demon too."

I stiffened and backed up, wide eyed. This was new. I hadn't come across any demon that didn't smell…well, like a demon. "But…! You smell normal!"

"You can smell us….?" Now he looked incredibly intrigued. Shuichi/Kurama leaned forward in his seat with an intense look. "But how is that possible? You're only human."

I didn't answer, though the question was obviously rhetorical. I felt my heart pound again and grow louder with each second that ticked by. No demon I had ever met had not meant me harm, especially after last night.

"Calm yourself." Shuichi leaned away slowly, like a hunter trying to calm a frightened doe. "As I said before, I'm not going to hurt you."

I felt at a loss now. Despite his promises, I wanted him to go away. I wanted to think and breathe air that wasn't infected with demons and their smells and their auras and everything else. I felt hopeless, knowing that my brother wouldn't come save me and if my father ended up showing up, he'd never bother to poke his head in.

He glanced at the clock as the one sided conversation came to a halt. "I have to leave now but before I go, may I ask you a question?"

I nodded. What more could it hurt?

"I know this is a lot to ask you." He smiled ruefully. "And I know after what's happened, you have absolutely no right to trust me…but could you please keep my ah…alter ego a secret?"

Did Lois Layne keep Kent Clark's secret?

Did this Lois Layne even have a choice?

I nodded again and his smile widened. My stupid heart thudded loud again, but not out of fear.

"Thank you. I look forward to seeing you in class tomorrow." He stood and walked towards the front entryway. "Goodnight Joelle."

The door shut and the silence and the darkness rushed in to swallow me. I sat on my couch in the large and capacious house, suddenly wishing I wasn't so alone again.

Maybe a demon free area wasn't what I wanted. Maybe I just wanted creepy demon free space.

I pulled the blanket over my shoulders and huddled on one corner of the couch, staring at the walls. As was the usual reaction to a traumatic experience, I started thinking over what had just happened to me. What I wasn't expecting was to see the blood.

There was blood on the carpet, and on the ceiling, on the lampshade, in the hall, and around the corner. It was dripping down my back and through my hair, my hands dyed red with imaginary life giving plasma that I couldn't scrub off no matter how hard I tried.

So then I tried to think about other things, but the only thought that kept running though my mind was how I wanted the nice demon to come back and take away all the blood…

~Please tell me what you think! I want to know what I can improve on!~


	2. What Would You Do For A Klondike Bar?

~ I swear I have a life... I just don't seem to have anything to do lately, so I've been writing… Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 2: What would you do for a Klondike Bar?

My brother eventually came home that night. I heard the front door open from my bedroom upstairs; heard the stairs creak under the familiar weight of his footsteps, and finally his door shut. Going to college full time could be exhausting, I hear. But then again, so could anything really. Including goofing off like he had undoubtedly been doing before he came home.

I stared at the four white walls in my room and watched my blood –soaked visions slowly fade as the sleeping pills took their effect. My space was nothing special, just a little bed with plain blue covers, a poster of Mean Girls (starring Lindsay Lohan. I hadn't actually watched that show since I was thirteen, but the poster made it look like I had a soul.), and a desk with a lamp above it. No books, no clothes on the floor, everything meticulously put back into place…

I hated my room.

I sat with my back against the wall on the covers, the blanket from downstairs wrapped around my shoulders as I tried not to think. I could feel sleep creeping up on me.

Three….

Two…

One…

I dreamed of green eyes and shadows that night.

"Jo, would you wake up?"

I blinked my eyes open to a cacophony coming from my alarm clock and my brother, looking haggard and more then a little angry. He had sandy stubble on his jaw and blue eyes. No freckles though. The jerk had a clear complexion like my father. He ran a hand through his hair. "Jeese, why couldn't you wake up? Your alarm clock has been ringing for ten minutes straight and I can't shut the stupid thing off!"

That's my brother. If it didn't have hips or couldn't be measured in pints, he was at a total loss.

"Sorry Tristan." I muttered and shut it off, glancing at the time. Good. Still enough time to shower quickly and –

My stomach turned and I fell back into bed. "I don't feel good. I think I'll stay home."

"You woke me up for that?" He snorted but his eyes showed legitimate concern. He sat on my bed, his rumpled t shirt and pajama pants blue like my covers. Tristan put a hand on my forehead, feeling for a temperature. Good thing he was going to med school. "You're a little warm. What do you feel like?"

"Crap." I said eloquently. Truth was, there was no way I could walk to school. I was too scared. What if next time Shuichi didn't come save me and it was my blood all over the sidewalk? I couldn't ask Tristan to drive me to school, either. The guy was a total hippie sometimes. 'Conserve energy', 'The ozone layer is depleting with car exhaust', and so on and so forth. He took public transportation or just walked, which I could never understand. I saw how they stuffed people in those trains…

"Hmm…" He got a thoughtful look on his face, which reminded me why he wasted his time at college. "Probably just a virus passing through." He stood up and started out of my room. "Get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. Doctor's orders."

"Are you gonna be here much longer?" I asked, sitting up. I didn't want to be alone.

Tristan paused at the door. "Um…nah. I'm gonna take a shower. I have classes this morning that I need to go to." Lucky for me my bum of a brother was responsible when it came to the important classes…

"Okay." I said weakly and sank back into bed as he left. I curled up in a ball and tried to think of anything but demons.

I hated my life.

I don't how long I slept as opposed to how long I laid there, but when the doorbell rang, I was sure that school wasn't over. I hadn't wasted the entire day, had I? I slipped out from beneath the covers, smoothed over my hair, and jogged down the stairs. I wonder who it is, I thought as I opened the door.

"Good morning." Shuichi smiled at me from my doorstep.

I blinked. "Am I…in trouble again…?" I leaned against the door heavily. I couldn't take much more of this. What was this guy, a harbinger of doom?

"Oh no. I just came to see how you were doing." He put his hands up in defense. "However, I did bring someone who wants to meet you…" He moved aside and a young man around my brother's age stepped forward.

He looked weird, with funky clothes, a pacifier, and JR printed on his forehead, but hey I'd seen weirder. For example, the chicks my brother brought home sometimes. Made me wonder what kind of parties he went to…

Pacifier guy bowed to me and I bowed back as a response. "Hello. My name is Koenma. You're Joelle O'Connell, correct?"

"Yes." I ran a hand through my hair, slightly embarrassed that I was receiving company in my pajamas. "Would you like to come in?"

They did so and we sat in the living room.

"Kurama tells me you have the ability to see and smell demons." Koenma started. I found it odd that he'd keep a pacifier, of all things, in his mouth. Wouldn't it just be easier to talk without it?

"Yes." I glanced at Shuichi. Was this Koenma person a demon too? Why was Shuichi telling people about me?

"I see…" Koenma glanced at Shuichi and then turned back to me. "Well, against my better judgment, I might as well clue you in on what's going on…" And then he explained to me the most fantastic tale I have ever heard. All about Spirit World and demons…he even explained how Shuichi could be Kurama and not smell or look like a demon.

"Now, about you…" Koenma sighed as he rubbed his hands together, a gesture of self comfort that seemed odd to me in a guy with such a commanding presence. "Somebody has definitely 'put the hit on you', so to speak. Meaning you're going to be approached by more and more demons until you're either dead or the man in charge gives up. Something about this seems a little off, so Kurama, could you ask Yuuske and the rest if they'd mind looking into it? Meanwhile, I'd like someone to watch her constantly and keep her out of harms way unless I say so – "

"What…?" I murmured, panic setting in. There was a homicidal demon after me? And he just says 'I'd like someone to watch her constantly'? And who says I wanted someone to 'watch me constantly'?

"It's nothing to worry about." Shuichi assured me. "Yuuske Uremeshi is a Spirit Detective. He'll find out who's behind this."

You ever get that feeling that things are inexplicably spiraling out of control and you're just watching the ends of it burn? Yeah that's how I felt. I listened with half an ear as I tried to figure out how I would explain to Tristan and my good-for-nothing father that I had to go under a supernatural witness protection program because some spawn of Satan was after my blood and no one knew why.

"…This shouldn't be too difficult. I'll do some more research and get back to you all." Koenma was saying, blissfully unaware how close I was to just killing myself and saving everyone the trouble.

Then again…as a coward, I probably couldn't do it by myself…

"We'll wait for your word." Shuichi agreed. "Are you leaving now?"

"Have to." Koenma rose. "Papers don't stamp themselves, y'know." He turned to me. "I'm sorry about all this. Have a nice day."

Have a nice day. He said it like they do when you walk into Wally World. _Have a nice day, customer #234232…_

I stood up after he'd gone and went directly towards the stairs.

"Wait," Shuichi called and I froze. "Where are you going?"

"To take a shower." I answered honestly and turned to look at him, my blonde hair in my face. "Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, I guess…" This is assuming, you're staying. Which half of me hoped he wouldn't and the other half wished he would.

He hesitated and nodded, and I could see that look of concern. Like the one on Tristan's face except…different. It threw me off and we stared at each other for a minute. Me on the stairs with a hand on the banister, my pajamas swallowing me up like the little kid I was, and him below in the living room, standing alone like a crusading hero.

The romantic illusion faded and I hurried up the stairs before he could see the blush that had collected on my freckled face. I shut the door to the bathroom and sunk to the floor, back to the wall, stupid tears collecting in my eyes.

Sometimes, I really hated myself.

Rule number one, don't be a coward. Rule number two, don't let yourself get stalked by crazy demons. Rule number three…

…Don't start liking the guy who made your life miserable.

I sat on the top of the stairs and watched him for a while, the cool wood of the banister pressed against my cheek. My stringy wet hair was brushed and thrown over a shoulder carelessly as I waited for it to dry, soaking my blue long sleeved shirt.

He was reading a book he found, no doubt from investigating the library downstairs. From here I could tell it was one of my favorites; a well worn copy of Wicked by Gregory Maguire. His finger was slipped in between the pages, held ready to flick it over as his emerald eyes scanned the words on the page. I saw the way he relaxed as he read, the muscles in his shoulders unwinding as he immersed himself in Elphaba's life for a while; just as I did whenever I picked up the book. There was a slight frown on his face and I found myself waiting for it to turn into a smile, too scared to study the rest of him. Even I knew that was creepy. But watching him hold that book made me feel like he was studying my insides; like holding me, instead.

I traced the edges of the banister with my fingers as I studied his shoes, unsure of what to do now. I hadn't made an effort to announce my presence, which I'm pretty sure went against all the rules in the How-to-be-a-good-hostess-book. But even if I did go to talk to him, what would we discuss? School? Our upcoming project? That seemed like so long ago now; so irrevalent and naïve that it almost made me laugh. No, I had nothing to say to him. Nothing I could say would work.

Then again….I could say thank you…

I saw a flicker of motion out of the corner of my eye and I looked up right as he looked down at his book.

So he did know I was here. But why was he staring…?

I stood up and walked down the stairs, acting like the transaction had never happened. Life is so much easier when you can pretend. "Like the book?"

Shuichi looked up at me. "Yes. American Literature always interests me." He closed it and set it on the table. "Are you alright? I know this must be a lot for you to handle…"

"I'm fine." I brushed off his concern with a small smile and sat myself on the farthest corner of the couch, tucking my legs underneath me. "Thank you." I said, though it came out half strangled. Why couldn't I look at him?

"For?"

"Well…saving me, the other night." I tugged the sleeves of my shirt down. "I don't think I would've been able to survive if you hadn't been there."

"You're welcome."

I looked up and we shared a smile.

Finally he spoke. "I have to discuss Koenma's orders with Yuuske and the others. Would you like to come with?"

"Do I have a choice?" I asked dryly.

"I…thought it'd be nicer if I gave you a chance to make a decision." He admitted, looking sheepish.

"Thank you." I said again, surprised by how considerate he was being, given the circumstances. "I'd love to come."

Shuichi should've warned me.

We walked downtown to a cute little park with a lot of trees, exchanging few words and enjoying the scenery more then anything else. I loved going on walks. It gave me time to think. But it was awkward walking with someone else; like I couldn't think beyond idiotic time wasting conversation starters. I watched a jet fly overhead and absently wondered what it'd be like to fly as we passed under a tree.

Bam.

I could smell and sense another demon almost immediately, though it was different then the one from last night. This one smelled like blood, certainly, but it was more complex… I was confused. He actually smelled _good_. Kind of like Shuichi, but Shuichi's scent was better.

"There's a lost little girl following you, Kurama."

I looked up in between the branches to see red eyes peering back at me. I gasped and jumped back, bumping into Shuichi as I tried to escape.

He steadied me with a hand on my elbow. "It's alright. He's friendly."

"Maybe to you." Was the snide reply.

Suddenly someone about my height was in my face, same red eyes but now with a white bandana and black hair that looked like someone had dyed a broom and stuck it on his head. "But not to her. Who are you?" He demanded.

"N-no one…!" I squeaked, pushing more into Shuichi as I leaned away from the demon in front of me.

"Come now, Hiei." Kurama switched his grip to around my shoulders. Probably to keep me from running away. "She's already frightened enough as it is."

Hiei studied me for a brief moment more before giving off a noncommittal 'hn', like I wasn't worth the time. "What's she doing here, following you?"

"This is Joelle O'Connell." Kurama replied. "Koenma's asked us to assure her safety. She seems to be having some problems with our kind."

"Ha!" Hiei scoffed. "Koenma can ask all he wants! I won't do it!"

I really wanted to ask if he'd do it for a Klondike bar but, seeing as he scared the crap out of me, I thought better of it.

"He also said something about an exceptionally talented demon that might be involved…" I saw the corner of Kurama's mouth twitch, as if he were going to smile but thought better of it. "…something about them being stronger then you. He honestly didn't believe you could beat said demon."

Hiei's eye twitched as his eyebrows met in the middle of his forehead. "Oh he doesn't, does he…."

Now, you and I both know Koenma said nothing of the sort. I was pretty dang sure Kurama knew this too, seeing as he had been in the room throughout the duration of Koenma's stay, so naturally I was confused. I shot him a quizzical look.

He glanced at me and flashed me a quick smile.

"I want to see this demon. I'll show Koenma who's better." Hiei said vehemently. "Who is it?"

"We're not sure. The only thing we know is sooner or later, Joelle here will draw him out."

Wait, what? That don't sound pleasant.

I shifted nervously as Hiei glanced at me again.

"Fine." He snapped. "I'll help babysit." He turned to me. "You better not do anything stupid and ruin my chances or I'll make you pay."

Believe me brother that is the furthest thing from my mind.

I nodded anxiously and Hiei, satisfied, turned away.

"Stop gaping at me. I won't kill you." He paused. "Yet."

Kurama frowned disapprovingly as I swallowed. "We're going to meet with Yuuske and Kuwabara. Would you like to come with?"

-

"No."

There is a God.

"But I'll meet up with you later when that…girl, isn't around." Hiei concluded, throwing me a disdainful look. And with that, he disappeared. Quite the conversationalist, no?

"Hiei has a…distinct lack of patience with humans…" Kurama let go of me, staring at the space where Hiei had been.

"That's putting it eloquently." I said and put my hands over my mouth, eyes wide.

Kurama laughed. "He won't hear you. He's gone, now."

I still wasn't going to take any chances. "Um…are Yuuske and Kuwabara…are they…?"

"They're human." Kurama assured me, starting to walk again.

I let out a sigh of relief and followed after him.

"If you don't mind me asking, why is your family never home?"

I looked at him as I caught up to him. "What do you mean?" I asked, though I knew what he meant. I wasn't stupid.

"There's been no one besides you today and yesterday." He pointed out.

"Oh." I chewed on my lip. "My brother's usually home, he's just…well, actually, he's never home. He's in med school."

"What's his name?"

"Tristan."

"And your father?"

"John O'Connell. He's a very busy man." I pursed my lips. There were so many things I could say about that man. Very busy indeed… He never wanted to come home.

"And your mother?"

"Living in the states." I shrugged. "My parents are separated."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He said softly.

"It's completely fine. It happened a while ago." I brushed it off, but it was still a sore subject. I loved my mother, and for her to just pack up and leave and give her husband custody over me like that…

Well, whatever. I had more important things to think about. For example, what I was going to do now that I was under witness protection. I pursed my lips as I walked beside Kurama in silence, musing over my options. I didn't have a lot. It's not like I could refuse their help, and even if I could I didn't want to. Facing on whoever this was all alone didn't sound very pleasant. I could just ask Dad and Tristan what I could do, but I didn't want either of them to get mixed up in this. Neither had my gift for seeing and smelling the unnatural. It would just confuse them and set everything up for disaster. Besides, there had to be a reason this whole Spirit World thing was a secret. I'm betting there was a penalty if you told normal people what was going on, but I didn't want to find out through experience.

"It seems we're receiving odd looks." Kurama murmured, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I blinked. "Supernaturally odd looks or…human-ey odd looks?"

He looked amused. "Both, I suppose. You tell me. You seem to have a gift for picking our kind out."

"I try not to…" I muttered.

"Well, now's your chance." He pointed out. When I didn't answer, he added. "It would be an immense help to know who to watch out for, actually…"

I didn't want to be a burden. Aw hell, who was I kidding? I already was. But I could be less of a burden… I closed my eyes for a bit and breathed in deeply, focusing on stretching that extra sense I carried around to timidly feel out my surroundings. I'd done this before, but not often. Sometimes, ignorance is indeed bliss. And its not something you can exactly tell the person standing next to you. _Hey, you don't know me but that guy right there? Yeah he's gonna eat your soul in a bit. Have a fantastic day, friend!_

I got the smell of rotten food mixed with beef cooking from a vendor across the street. The whole thing practically oozed demonic aura. I guessed it must've been the cook.

The next demon was walking the opposite direction. He smelled like stale bread, which wasn't that unpleasant. I would bet anything to say he was harmless.

I opened my eyes and said, "The man cooking over there is a demon. He's killed before and reeks. There's another one but I'm guessing he's harmless."

"I smelled him." Kurama admitted, looking impressed. "But I didn't notice the vendor. That's quite the gift you have, Joelle."

I almost glowed. It was ridiculous.

"I hope you mind that I don't call you Joelle." He looked apologetic as we started walking again; away from the demonic vendor, I might add.

"No." I smiled goofily. "No, I don't mind at all."

~Please R&R!~


	3. The Fast Little Monkey Smiles

~ Still writing a bunch…Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 3: The Fast Little Monkey Smiles

I was rather surprised to find this 'Yuuske' character was, in fact, a junior high kid. You wouldn't think it, from the way he carried himself. He marched over to us, bag in hand, looking more pissed then a possessive girlfriend. His movements were jerky and uncoordinated, but he still moved smoother then most kids his age. I was willing to bet anything he'd had some physical training of some kind in his recent history.

"What is it?" He snapped. "I was about to kick Kuwabara's face in!"

Kuwabara, who looked more like a pedophile posing as a student, flew out of the school gates like a bat out of hell. "Whatever, Uremeshi! You're a jerk, you know that?"

His deep voice startled me and I gaped at the two in absolute shock. These guys were younger then me…?

Kuwabara blinked as he noticed Shuichi for the first time, his smile eyes going as wide as they probably could. "Oh hey Kurama." And then his beady black orbs fell on me.

Let's just say that I never felt more naked.

He approached me quickly and cleared his throat into his hand, striking what he probably assumed was a heroic pose. "Hey little lady." He winked at me and continued talking, to my absolute horror. "I know I'm a bit rough looking, but I'm the sweetest guy around and I think you look damn good. Why don't you and I hit the arcade tonight?"

I was at a loss for words for three reasons. One, he was more then 'a bit rough looking'. Two, I just met the guy. And three, did he seriously think stringy blonde hair and big fat curves was attractive? 'Hey little lady' my ass…

Yuuske yanked him back. "Stop hitting on all the girls connected to my freakin' cases!" He paused and looked at Shuichi. "She's part of a new case, right?"

"Yes." Shuichi nodded.

"Huh." Yuuske folded his arms and scowled in a puzzled way. "Usually Botan tells me what I'm supposed to do…" He shrugged. "Eh. I don't care. What's up, Kurama?"

"What's your name, pretty la-?" Kuwabara's idiocy was efficiently cut off by Yuuske's hand.

Shuichi, looking highly amused, put a hand on my shoulder. "This is Joelle O'Connell. She's a few years your senior, Kuwabara."

"Hey, I'm down with older women." Kuwabara winked at me again and my eyes widened and I stepped back once. "Especially ones with such pretty eyes."

"Would you SHUT UP?" Yuuske yelled.

I'm not sure if I liked these guys any better then Hiei…

"Joelle's in a bind. It seems there's a demon who has made it known he would prefer her dead. Koenma has asked to keep watch over her while he does some research." Shuichi's grip tightened on my shoulder. Again, probably to keep me from bolting.

There was a pause that dragged on for a while. Was my story seriously that hard to swallow? Then again…they were jr high boys…maybe they were more concerned with hormones at the moment.

"That's it?" Yuuske asked incredously.

"What…?" I whispered.

"It talks." Yuuske said dryly, giving me a sarcastic look. "Look, not to be rude or anything, but this kinda sounds like a job for someone else."

Wow. And I _totally_ wasn't going to take that as rude at all. Jerk.

"I-I'm sorry." I looked at the sidewalk, trying to shut off any anger I was feeling. It was useless to argue. "I don't want to be a problem. I'll be fine."

"Uremeshi you jerk! Look at her! You're gonna make her cry!" Kuwabara took my hands in his. "I'll protect you with my life, Joelle. Think of me as your night in shining armor."

"Um…" I said intelligently.

Shuichi's fingers almost imprinted themselves into my shoulder. "What happened to Yukina?" He asked calmly and I suppose it must've been an inside joke because Yuuske smirked.

"Oh! Yukina!" The big moron let go of my hands and turned his back to me. "I haven't seen her in a while…"

I slipped behind Shuichi.

Yuuske rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak but Kuwabara interrupted.

"I'm sure she's found someone else. And as a warrior of love, I must move on eventually!" He turned back, but finding me absent, looked shocked.

"Aw shut it Kuwabara." Yuuske snapped tempermentally. "Look, I just don't see the point." He told Shuichi, frustrated.

"She'll be in grave danger if we don't help." Shuichi argued.

"You're helping, right? She'll be fine."

"Koenma wanted you to be a part of this. You can't refuse a case, Yuuske."

"Watch me! Koenma can kiss my-!"

And that's when I snapped. I was sick of the arguing, the danger, everything. Today had been one big 'let's-get-you-out-of-your-comfort-zone' hell. I turned away from Shuichi's back and just ran in the opposite direction. Who cared about getting killed? I just wanted to be home. I heard him call my name once, and Kuwabara yell something about going after me, but I blocked the rest of it out. I needed to focus on something- anything beside what was happening to me.

I must've been faster then I thought because not only did I arrive home in record time, but I couldn't see anyone following me. I collapsed, gasping, on the living room floor. I fought for air as I felt the carpet rub against the back of my head. I hated the arguing. I hated the fighting. I hated everything about what was happening and I couldn't do anything to stop it. It was so stupid. I fought back tears as my breathing started to slow. I abandoned all thought and stroked the carpet with the back of my hand in a wide swinging arc, the rough material rubbing and chaffing against my skin.

I guess I laid there for hours, focusing on breathing and rubbing the carpet. My hand was raw by the time I was done and a gnawing hunger forced my brain to work as orange light filtered through the closed blinds. I sat up, my hair falling in my face as I rubbed my eyes. I needed food before I started eating the furniture. But hey, at least my life would have a purpose.

I was just staring off into space when the doorbell rang. My heart stopped for a beat and started up again, faster then before. I'd never felt more worn out in my life as I pulled myself up and slowly walked to the door. Whoever was there, they couldn't be good.

It was Hiei.

I almost started to bawl.

"You're making things difficult." He informed me shortly and stepped inside.

My face twisted into a tight smile as I stared out at the setting sun through the neighborhood, but I didn't reply. _I _was the one making things difficult? I shut the door and turned to see Hiei standing in the kitchen, inspecting the place. "What're you doing here?"

"Making sure you don't die." He said sarcastically. "It'd be inconvenient to everyone, including me."

"Okay." I said miserably. Suddenly, I wasn't hungry anymore. "I'm just gonna go to bed. My brother might be home sometime tonight so…"

"You have family?" Hiei raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." I said softly. "I guess…" I walked up the stairs.

"Wait."

I paused on the stairs, too tired to even turn around.

"….." Hiei took in breath to say something but then exhaled it shortly after. "Kurama should be escorting you to school tomorrow."

"Thanks…" I said listlessly and went to bed.

Tristan, thankfully, did not come home that night. I didn't think I could explain why a short man with broom-like hair and a bad attitude was sitting at our kitchen table, watching for intruders.

I actually almost forgot about Hiei. I woke up feeling good, got in shower, and got dressed without remembering anything that had happened the past few days. I was humming as I popped down the stairs, twirling on the kitchen floor in socks.

I gasped and my feet slipped out from underneath me.

"What're you doing?" Hiei asked from his seat on my counter.

"I-ow!" I hissed as I tried to stand and my ankle gave out beneath me again. My forehead pressed against the hardwood floor with my elbows and knees and I sighed. "Nothing…" I looked up and saw the corner of his mouth twitch. Was…was that a smile…?

Now, I knew nothing about him. To me, he was just another scary demon thing that was gonna make my life miserable. But he definitely didn't seem like the kind of person that smiled a whole bunch.

I tried to get up again and ended up plastered on the floor, yet again. I let out an aggravated sigh and looked up at Hiei again.

He was definitely trying not to smile again. He had turned his head away from me but I saw the corner of his mouth turned up a little.

I couldn't help it. I smiled too.

"You're hopeless." He said to the wall.

"I know." I agreed, still smiling. I pulled myself up using a bar stool and inspected my ankle. Nothing too bad, probably just bent it a way it wasn't used to. "Would you like something to eat?" I asked, more out of politeness then concern.

"No." He said shortly and was suddenly on the other side of me. Fast little monkey. "I'm leaving now."

"Alright. Thank you." I said and turned to smile at him.

Whoosh. Gone.

I shrugged and headed for my fridge. Well, at least I knew he wasn't that scary.

It didn't take that long for Shuichi to show up at my doorstep. I was actually just about to leave by myself when the doorbell rang. I opened it slowly and suddenly realized everything was blurry. Dangit. I forgot to put in my contacts. "Hi. Come on in. I'll be right back." I said hurriedly and rushed up the stairs. I didn't have time to put them in now. I'd just have to wear my stupid glasses… I thought they made my face look super round. I grabbed them from my bedside table and shoved them on, the world becoming clearer then before. I stopped in front of a mirror and pushed my hair out from behind my ears. Bleh. Fat face. I scowled at my reflection and hurried down the stairs.

Shuichi looked up from studying the carpet. "I didn't know you wore glasses."

"I do." I grabbed my bag and slipped on my shoes, then paused. "Hey, listen…I'm sorry…I'm sorry about yesterday and just, well….taking off like that." I inspected my shoes. "I didn't really mean to be ungrateful, I was just upset…"

"It's fine." He smiled and tilted my chin up, a gesture that surprised me. "I understand."

I blushed and looked at his left ear. That was safe. "O-okay…" His ear turned red.

He moved away and we walked out of the house in silence.

"Your eyes are really blue." Shuichi said half way to school.

"Sorry." I said quickly.

That earned me a look. "Sorry…?" He smiled. "I would think that would be a good thing. I don't know of a whole lot of people who have blue eyes around here."

"That's because I'm a gaijin." I pointed out.

Suddenly he frowned as he stared straight ahead. "Why do you let them talk like that?"

"Huh?"

"You let everyone call you a gaijin. You never stick up for yourself. In fact, I believe everyone's forgotten your name is Joelle."

"Oh." I squeezed the handle of my bag, my glasses slipping a little down my nose as I looked down. "Well, I don't see the harm…"

"But you're a person as well." He insisted. "Don't you agree?"

"Honestly, it's not worth the fight." I said apprehensively. "Really, Shuichi, it's just fine."

He let it drop but I could tell from the look on his face he didn't think it was 'just fine'.

I, however, was right pleased with the fact that he cared enough to bring it up. Like I said, no one had called me by name in years.

School went by okay. At least, there were no demons or anything like that. Of course, Shuichi was swarmed by the usual girls and boys asking for homework, dates, and other things. I managed to let myself get pushed out of the way and into my seat in the back. Ah, well. It's not like I really thought we'd actually still talk once at school.

Lunch rolled around and I stared out the window, tapping my pencil against a paper. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, worried that there was someone here that shouldn't be.

"Whoa! Gaijin wears glasses?"

I blinked as hands slammed on my desk. I looked up to see a few guys staring at me. I knew these kids. Just idiot pranksters with nothing better to do. They'd tried picking on me a few times but eventually gave up when I just agreed with everything they said.

"Not only that, she walked in with Minamino this morning!" One with bleached hair smirked.

Their ring leader, a boy with light brown hair, looked me over disdainfully. "Well then. Aren't you stepping out of line a little?"

"I-I'm sorry." I said quietly, drawing my hands into my lap.

"We should just leave her to Keomi the fire breather." The leader said to his group.

My eyes widened. That wasn't good. Keomi Taranake was the head of the unofficial Minamino fan club. I had assumed my small part in Shuichi's entrance to the school had gone unnoticed by everyone. I was just Gaijin, after all. Apparently, this wasn't so.

"Yeah, I heard Keomi's got something special planned for little Gaijin here." Another guy snickered.

They left me, giggling at the prospect of me becoming Keomi the fire breather's latest victim.

The last girl who had been seemingly close to Shuichi had been found a few days later, severely dehydrated and bloodied…

Maybe the thing I had to worry about was humans, not demons. The prospect scared me and I stared out the window again as storm clouds brewed overhead.

~Please R&R!~


	4. When Fangirls Attack

~ Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 4: When Fangirls Attack

The storm had reached an extremely worrying stage by the time school was over, yet there was no rain just yet. I packed up my bag, ignoring everyone else as I mused over what to do. I could probably make it home fast enough before it started to rain. I looked up at Shuichi, but he was otherwise preoccupied with more people then had greeted him at the gate this morning. I pursed my lips but kept quiet. If I ended up getting attacked by a demon on the way home, I'd just run to the park or the jr high. Surely the others couldn't just stand by and watch me get killed…

There was the faintest smell of gasoline and burning flesh, then someone bumped into me and my papers scattered everywhere. I got on my hands and knees and started to gather them up, concerned. I looked behind me to see a group of girls looking back and giggling as they continued towards the exit of the classroom. What had that been about? Could there be a demon in our classroom…? I shook my head. Now I was paranoid. Of course not. That smell had just been a figment of my imagination. It happened sometimes. I thought I smelled something funky and then there wasn't anything there…

I grabbed the rest of my papers and stood up, heading out the door. Shuichi wouldn't be mad, would he? I'm sure he'd understand…

The wind blew at my hair and pushed my glasses back onto my nose as I walked past the gates. The storm was farther along then I expected and I quickened my pace as I walked along the sidewalk. My thoughts turned to Shuichi as I walked, concerned that he'd be upset that I took off like that. I was starting to wonder why I even cared what he thought at all, but then again I was afraid of people being upset with me in the first place. Unbidden, the image of him lifting my head up this morning came to mind and I touched my skin where his hand had been. There was an odd feeling of giddiness that overtook me and I almost fell off the sidewalk and into the street. It was stupid how this, well, demon boy could cause such a reaction in me. My fingers slid over my skin as I mused about how much I'd like it if it happened again…

Thunder shook the ground and I squeaked in surprise. I looked up just in time as fat drops of water fell down and soaked me to the bone quickly. People around me shrieked and giggled as they put newspapers and other things over their head, running for cover. I scowled and walked onward. There was no point in running now. I was already drenched.

The people again tapered out and I began to feel nervous as I approached the place where I had been attacked before. Maybe taking off without Shuichi had not been a good idea.

There was that smell of burning flesh and gasoline again before I felt a sharp pain in between my shoulder blades. I cried out as I fell forward and rolled away a couple times, my bag falling in a puddle. I blinked in confusion, unable to see more then a few feet in front of my face, and felt around for my glasses. Where were they? Who had kicked me? What was going on? My fingers finally closed around the rims and I almost breathed a sigh of relief. I was helpless without these things-

There was a snap and a crushing pain as someone stepped on my hand and my glasses. I gasped as the lenses broke apart and stuck into my palm.

"Oops." Someone giggled, the voice distinctly female and familiar. Now more then ever, I could smell something burning.

There was a demon here.

"It's just my luck that not only are you my next victim because you dared to be near Minamino," The voice said calmly, "But also because Mr. Sasaki has made it very clear he wants you dead in the most horrible way possible." Another giggle. "It's too bad you can't see your own death at the hands of Keomi."

I gasped again as the foot was removed and put my hand up to my face. I could see the fuzzy shape of glass shards sticking out of red as blood pulsed from the cut, collecting dirt and small rocks. I felt something hit me in the face and I lay on the sidewalk, tasting blood as my brain scrambled to find a way to escape.

"Usually, I let my victims live." Keomi went on, like she was talking to me normally and we were the best of friends. "Their human minds become so shocked by what I've done to them, they block everything out! Silly things…it's amazing that I don't have to come back and finish what I started! I do so hate disposing of the body afterwards…" She grabbed my wrist and I watched as a knife dug into my veins.

I screamed and yanked the knife out as she skipped away, laughing. I couldn't get it out. I couldn't move my hand. It was then I realized she'd severed a tendon and gone all the way through. I'd probably do more damaged trying to haphazardly tear it out then if I left it in. Blood gushed through my fingers as I sat up again, whimpering.

"Poor little Gaijin…got mixed up in things too big for you to understand…" Her voice was sweet and dripping with contempt at the same time. "You know better then to mess with my Minamino. He's my last victim, you know. Sweet little human boy, living alone with his mother… You know, I haven't quite decided how I'm going to kill him." She paused and I listened to the rain pound on the cement, alone with my tormentor. My legs were frozen in horror, and I couldn't have run fast enough to get away anyway. Something told me she would've caught me even if I was as fast as Hiei. "Why does he like you?" She suddenly spat and another knife sank into my hand, pinning it onto my already injured arm. I screamed and she snorted derisively. "You're nothing! Just some foreign sniveling bitch! You mean nothing to him!" The last sentence was screamed into my face in triumph. "Now get down on your hands and knees and admit that you're nothing!" She snarled and yanked the second knife out, forcing me down so I could see her brown school shoes and my own blood drenching the sidewalk.

I'm not quite sure what happened, but suddenly something in me snapped. No, I was not nothing. I was something and somebody. Shuichi believed I was. Why couldn't the rest of them see…? Were they too blinded with their own ambitions; their own small petty lives that they couldn't be bothered with acknowledging my existence the way that any human being diserved? "My name is… Joelle." I said my voice cracking. I felt parched and afraid, almost wishing the rain would wash it all away and help me stand.

"What was that?" Keomi snapped.

"I said…my name is Joelle." I slowly stood in front of her, and though I couldn't see, I glared at her fuzzy outline. I clenched my blood soaked hands, though the pain was intense and it made me want to scream again. "Why can't you call me by name?"

"Why should I?" She laughed. "You can't even really stand! All I did was stab you a few times in the arm! Pathetic waste of air!" She snapped.

"Shuichi doesn't think so." I replied quietly.

There was a blinding pain as the knife slashed across my face. I covered my face and screamed again as she shrieked. "DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM SO FAMILIARLY YOU PIECE OF-!"

"I'LL CALL HIM WHAT I WANT TO!" I interrupted and hit at her blindly, just to get her away from me. I couldn't see, couldn't open my eyes for fear of blood soaking my eyes. I stood in the dark and took a deep breath. If I couldn't see her, I could sense her.

I must have hit her because she had backed off a bit, pausing. I could sense her, more then smell. The rain was dampening most of my senses except for that extra sixth one. I felt her aura move and dodged accordingly. I didn't have a chance to be aggressive, but I could be defensive if I could sense her.

She was suddenly behind me and I ran forwards, scrubbing at my eyes. I couldn't run too far away, because I couldn't see. But if I ran this way, maybe I'd run into someone and they could help…

Left. I gasped and tried to pull back, putting up my arm in defense. She slashed down it and I fell on my butt onto the street.

"Joelle!"

I looked up and tried to blink away the last remaining traces of blood as something ran toward me. "Shuichi…?"

Keomi's aura disappeared quickly from the area.

Hands grabbed onto my shoulders and despite the fact that Keomi was no longer with me, I shrieked and fought to get away.

"Hold on! It's me! It's me!" I got pulled against someone's chest, their chin on top of my head as they rocked back and forth. "It's just me…"

It was Shuichi. He'd followed after me and saved me. I sagged in his arms in relief and would've sobbed, if I hadn't been so frightened still. I clutched onto the front of his shirt and didn't say anything, too horrified for words, my other hand cradled against myself.

"Hiei, see if you can find who did this!" Shuichi said urgently.

"In…In the bushes…" I croaked. "She went in the bushes…" Just talking hurt my face.

I felt Hiei's aura disappear in the same direction Keomi had gone, leaving me and Shuichi sitting in the rain and, no doubt, my blood.

"I'm sorry." I said into his collarbone. "I'm so sorry I didn't wait. Please…" I hiccupped as tears started to fall down my face. "Please don't be mad…"

"I'm not mad." He said softly, his hand brushing over my hair. "I could never be mad at you."

"Liar." I sobbed. "You just met me! I'm so ungrateful! I'm so sorry please don't leave-!" I promptly shut my mouth. I had no right to ask that. But I was so tired of being left alone, to face everything by myself. First my family, then my friends…. I just didn't want him to be gone as well.

"I won't leave." He promised. "I won't."

We sat in the rain like that for a while, his arms around me as I bled and cried all over him like some pathetic whiny girl. I finally stopped crying and turned my head to the side, his hair tickling my nose as I put my forehead against his neck. I could feel his heartbeat there, starting to go faster as I relaxed my grip on the front of his school uniform. "I can't see." I informed him pathetically.

"Can you walk?"

I nodded.

"I'll lead you home." He stood and helped my get my feet under me.

I pulled away from him, suddenly embarrassed. Who did I think I was? Like Keomi said, I was nothing. I didn't deserve to even look at him, let alone be touching him. I felt blind and alone as I stared at nothing in general, his fuzzy outline blending in with the rain and the gray of everything. And then I felt his hand close over my uninjured one, gently pulling me forward. Warmth spread from my stomach and suddenly my chest felt like it was going to explode. I wasn't that alone anymore. I licked my lips, getting a mixture of blood, tears, and the rain as I sought for some form of hydration. My mouth was so dry and I was pretty sure it was from loosing so much blood. The sooner we got home, the better.

We arrived at my house and from there, I managed to put in some contacts so I could see more then blurry images. That moment where Shuichi became clear almost made me cry again. It was like some kind of confirmation that he didn't actually leave me. He took my hand again and together, we managed to stitch me up enough for at least a passing grade in my brother's book.

"Come here." Shuichi took a hold of my face, firmly but gently, as he tried to clean off the cut that stretched from my lower jaw on the right to my left eyebrow. "Who even did this to you?"

"Keomi Takanake." I winced as the alcohol soaked into the cut. "She's the head of your fan club." My eyes widened and I grabbed his wrist. "Shuichi, she's gonna kill you! She told me! She says you're her last victim!"

"Oh I am, am I?" He said darkly. He shook off my hand. "What else did she tell you?"

"Um…Ow!" I winced again but his hand kept me in place. "She thinks you're human…she said something about a Mr. Sasaki wanting me dead…"

He paused at that. "Sasaki…"

"Do you know him?" I looked up at his green eyes, clouded with thinking.

"I might." He shook his head slightly and returned to the task at hand. "Continue."

I looked down. "She…she said I was nothing…and that's it…"

"Nothing?"

I nodded miserably.

"Listen to me." Suddenly we were nose to nose and my eyes widened in surprise. "You are not nothing. She's crazy. Just look at what she did to your face. You're Joelle."

I nodded, speechless.

Satisfied with that, he let go of my face and turned back to the first aid kit. "I wonder where Hiei got to."

"Do you think she…?" I left it hanging, my stomach turning at the possibility.

"No. He can take care of himself." Shuichi smiled. "By the way, what happened this morning?"

"Hm?"

"He's actually taken a liking to you. It's odd. He hates humans, normally."

I blushed. "I uh….I fell."

Shuichi blinked and then pushed the cut together as he put butterfly bandages on it. "You…fell?"

"Yeah." I closed my eyes. "He um…he almost smiled." I don't know why I thought I should tell Shuichi that, but it came out.

Shuichi chuckled. "That explains it…" His touch disappeared. "Done."

I opened my eyes and blushed. Our noses were almost touching.

Something changed in his eyes and I felt his fingers brush over mine, taking a hold of some of them. He leaned forward a bit and my heart thumped sporadically. He was going to kiss me. I knew it. He was so close.

The front door opened and we flew to either side of the couch, me studying my bandages and him his nails.

Hiei stepped in from the rain and shook his hair like a wet dog all over the entry way. "She got away." He growled.

"She must be fast." Shuichi commented, amazed.

"Shut up, Kurama." Hiei limped in, his leg covered in blood. "She just surprised me, was all." He sat on my kitchen counter again.

I peered at him from around the wall, hesitant. "Um…Hiei?"

"What?" He snarled and I ducked out of view, plastering my back against the wall.

"Um…did you want to uh…clean that up…?" I squeaked.

There was a pause and he said in a less angry tone. "I'm fine."

"O-okay." I said, looking miserable. I was just trying to help.

Shuichi gave me an empathetic look. "He'll be okay." He said softly and his hand found mine from his seat on the couch.

I blushed again and smiled at the floor, still too afraid to look him in the eye.

"She said something odd." Hiei's voice floated from the kitchen and I jumped.

"Hm?" Shuichi tilted his head back in Hiei's direction.

"Something about a Mr. Sasaki exacting revenge and 'Gaijin actually stood up for herself'."

I blinked. I guess that was true. I actually did stand up for myself. I stood up for myself in front of a demon that would've killed me.

Maybe I wasn't such a coward after all.

"Are you watching over her tonight?" Shuichi asked. "I think I'd like to speak with Koenma."

"Yuuske volunteered. I ran into him while I was coming back. He'd been chasing after the same demon after sensing her presence. He should be here soon." Hiei informed him. "I'm leaving." He announced again.

"Bye Hiei." I said as he appeared next to me.

He blinked, a little astonished, then gave a noncommittal grunt and was out the front door faster then you could say 'midget'.

"You're getting braver." Shuichi observed.

"I guess." I replied, shrugging embarrassedly.

The doorbell rang.

He stood and took both my hands in his, looking like he wanted to say or do something. He looked at me and hesitated slightly. Finally he said, "Be careful."

I nodded, wishing we were closer.

He looked at the door as the doorbell rang again. He pulled me into a hug.

I blinked and wrapped my arms around him timidly.

"Please." He murmured. "Please be careful."

"I will." I replied into his shoulder, smiling sadly.

He let go of me and opened the door for Yuuske, giving me one last smile before he left.

Yuuske grumbled about the rain for a bit and I toned him out as I stood, smiling like a moron. Suddenly I sneezed and Yuuske paused in his rant.

"You catching a cold?"

"I don't think so." I gingerly rubbed my nose, wincing as I moved the cut a little.

"Well go put on dry clothes." Yuuske scratched the back of his head. "I'm pretty sure Kurama would kill me if you did."

I smiled at this and almost skipped up the stairs.

~Please R&R!~


	5. I Wish I Was A Real Hero Too

~ Haven't been able to sleep at all so I've been writing… Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

~If anyone wants to know what Tristan looks like, think Enrique Iglesias. :D Yeah. Just that hot.~

Chapter 5: I Wish I Was A Real Hero Too

There was nothing out of the ordinary for a while. We did have a hiccup when my brother came home one night.

"What's all this?" Tristan asked, shutting the door.

Shuichi and I looked up from the homework we were doing on the counter. Good thing we weren't talking about anything demon related…

"Tr-tristan…!" I blushed.

"Tr-tristan….!" He mimicked, scowling. "I asked you a question, sis. What's all this?" He gestured at me and Shuichi.

"Um…this is…" I bit my lip. Tristan was notoriously harsh on anything male that happened to be around me.

"Shuichi Minamino." Shuichi stood and bowed. "Pleased to meet you. Joelle has said so much about you."

Tristan didn't bow back. "Thanks, kid. But that still doesn't explain what you're doing in my house."

"Tristan!" I stood up next to Shuichi. "He's helping me with homework! He's my friend!"

"Whoa." Tristan paused. "What happened to you, sis? You didn't used to be so…"

"Brave?" I asked hopefully.

"Territorial." Tristan smirked and held up his hands up. "Whatever… I just stopped by to grab a change of clothes… What happened to your face? Get in a knife fight?"

"Fell down the stairs. Where you staying at?" I asked in concern. It wasn't like him to be gone so long.

"I got a girlfriend. Her name's Melinda." He smiled. "She's a Gaijin too. I've been over at her place." He scratched the stubble on his chin. "In fact, I'm thinking about moving in…"

"Oh." I said, my heart dropping to my stomach. The only family member of mine that ever talked to me was leaving.

"Later." He waved at Shuichi and went up the stairs.

Shuichi paused. "Well. Your brother certainly does love you."

I didn't answer, choosing to sit back down instead. I took my pencil back up and tried to focus on math. It wouldn't do any good to be angry now. Arguing wasn't worth it.

"Joelle…?" He sat next to me.

"What's the answer to number five?" I tried to distract him.

"Thirteen point three. Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing. I just don't want him to leave." I shrugged. "But he is like twenty five." I turned to him with a slightly off smile.

He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything else.

We worked for a bit more until my brother left. Then Shuichi put down his pencil. "Hiei should be here any moment."

And that was kinda the synapses of our conversation for a few days. I was too much of a chicken to try to talk to him more and, for my safety, we arrived at school at different times. And whenever he was over, he never really said anything to me. We just sat on opposite sides of the couch. I was beginning to think I really was nothing to him…

Hiei, of all people, noticed my disengrating mood.

I was standing out on the back porch, which overlooked a large amount of land. Well, at least for Japan. In America, we call it a backyard. There was a tree above me and I could smell Hiei sitting up there on a branch.

"You seem decidedly unhappy."

I glanced up, my pajamas slipping off one shoulder. "What makes you say that?"

"You've been pouting for a week straight. It's revolting." He snorted.

I bit my lip and sat on the swing. "Sorry."

"Hm." Suddenly he was sitting on the other end of the swing. "Kurama's acting strangely too. You both must be sick."

I smiled at my knees. "Yeah…" I felt like something was watching me and I looked up in time to see Hiei turn his head away.

"Your shirt." He said stiffly.

I blinked and looked down. "Oh I'm sorry." I pulled the sleeve back over my shoulder. I wonder how long he'd been staring…

We sat like that for a while, and it was comfortable. I was just amazed that he was even sitting that close to me. It must've taken a lot for him to be willing to come down from his tree even.

"Keomi hasn't shown up." I said softly, wriggling my toes in the night air.

"She's afraid." Hiei scoffed. " Now that she knows I'm here, she won't come near you. Not to mention Kurama. For some reason she really thinks he's human."

"She's insane." I shuddered.

"She's just a coward."

"So am I."

"You're different." He argued. "You're more…" He hesitated. "You're different." He finished sullenly.

I laughed.

"That's…humorous?" He looked at me.

"You don't think so?" I smiled at him.

"Does it look like I have a sense of humor?" He said coldly, but I could tell he didn't mean it. In fact, he looked downright pleased with himself.

I was beginning to think that maybe all demons weren't that bad.

It was another week before I received anything that suggested Keomi's presence. I was sitting by myself in my house on a Sunday morning, eating some toast as I waited for Shuichi. We were going out so I could buy groceries. Dad had been in some time last night and left money for me so that was covered. Not even a note. The man had to realize how much I hated him for that.

I smelled something burning and stiffened. I hadn't even felt an aura. What was going on? I rushed to the front door and yanked it open to find something burning on my front porch. It was a jacket. I stomped out the flames, seeing as how they weren't even knee high yet, and picked up the jacket.

Shuichi's. I could smell him all over it. I looked around anxiously, but saw no one. I turned the jacket over in my hands, hoping for some sort of clue, and something fell out of it. A note. I picked it up and pulled a hand back, puzzled. Why was it so sticky…?

I almost threw up. It was covered in blood. In fact, the entire paper was dyed in it. In black ink was scrawled, _I'm killing Minamino tonight! Meet me under the clock tower at seven thirty if you want a chance to save him, Little Miss Nothing. _It was unsigned, but I knew who it had been. I tried to swallow but found my mouth dry. How had she gotten him? Shuichi couldn't possibly have let himself be put into her clutches. I felt tears start to stream down my face. This was all my fault. If I hadn't involved Shuichi, he wouldn't have gotten into this mess. There was only one thing left to do.

I ran towards the park, my legs bending with a will of their own. Hiei would know what to do. They were friends, weren't they? He'd help me sort this whole thing out.

I didn't have to go far before I sensed him. I glanced and around and threw myself under the tree he was sitting in. "Hiei! Hiei something happened!" I couldn't stop crying. It must've looked strange. A distraught girl yelling at a tree, carrying a smoldering jacket and a bloodied note.

"I'm busy. Go bug Kurama." Came the gruff reply.

"H-He's gone…!" I put my back against the tree trunk and sank down to the ground, putting my arms around my knees and just bawling. It felt like Keomi had violated something sacred by taking him away; like she'd destroyed my confidence in one fell swoop.

Hiei dropped down to stand in front of me. "Gone? What do you mean he's gone?" He demanded.

I kicked the note at him.

He read it and tossed it to the ground, cussing. "How could he have let her capture him like that? I thought you were smarter!" He turned to me. "You! Let's-!" And he paused. He stared at me for a moment and then looked at the note. "Why are you crying?"

"Be-Because it's all my fault…!"

"How is Kurama getting kidnapped by Keomi your fault?" He asked flatly. "Did you tell her where to go? Were you there to see her do it?"

"No…But-"

"It's not your fault, then. Get up and stop crying."

I just couldn't. I sat and bawled like a little kid beneath that stupid tree. I was just a kid. I wasn't superhuman. I couldn't go after a demon. Especially one that could capture Shuichi like that.

Hiei looked at a loss for words. Finally, he said, "If you don't get up, I'll carry you."

That'd be fun. But I had issues with being carried. I was super afraid somebody would drop me. I rubbed my eyes and then stood up. "Where're we going?" I asked, brushing my knees off.

"We're going to talk to Yuuske and that moron, Kuwabara." He replied and started towards the junior high.

I was so surprised he didn't just cut off my head and call it good. I mean, I showed up telling him his best friend just disappeared and then I sat there and bawled. I followed him, worrying what Keomi was doing to Shuichi right now…

"Hiei, you inconsiderate bastard." Yuuske shook his head.

"What?" Hiei hadn't even explained what happened. Yuuske had just come out and told him that.

"You made her cry!" Yuuske pointed to me.

Kuwabara, of all people, enveloped me in a bear hug. And although I was creeped out, it felt nice. I never got hugs. "She's just shakin', the poor thing. What'd you do to her Hiei?"

We stood in front of Yuuske's apartment building, ignoring the crowd swarming around us.

"It wasn't me!" Hiei hissed, looking embarrassed. I felt bad for him. First crying females, now this?

"Don't lie to us, Hiei." Kuwabara sounded threatening. He pulled away and cupped my head in his hands. "What'd he do to you babe? You can tell your warrior of love."

"Back off." Hiei snapped, yanking me away. I felt like a chew toy with a bunch of dogs. "Look, I didn't make her cry! Kurama did!"

"Do we look stupid?" Yuuske folded his arms.

Hiei snarled in frustration and his grip tightened on my wrist.

"He didn't make me cry." I said softly, staring at his hand.

They all turned to me.

"Kurama's been kidnapped." I rubbed at my eyes with my free hand again as the tears started up again.

They stared in disbelief until Hiei handed them the note.

"That's sick." Kuwabara shuddered. "Did she do that to your face, Joelle?"

I nodded as Hiei finally realized he was holding onto my wrist and let it go.

"Right." Yuuske crushed the note with his fist. "We'll just go all out and get her tonight. Smash it up."

"And if your incredibly stupid plan doesn't work?" Hiei said snidely.

"We shouldn't go all offense." I said softly, alternating looks at their faces and my shoes.

They all stood, listening.

"Most likely, she's expecting that." I shrugged. "Maybe while she's preoccupied with two of us, the other two will grab Shuichi."

"You're not honestly thinking about fighting…are you?" Yuuske asked awkwardly.

Ouch. I nodded. "I'll help with the distraction. She'd be so concerned with killing me she wouldn't notice Shuichi slipping out of her clutches behind her. Then we attack from all sides. Five against one would be pretty good odds, don't you think?"

They all mulled this over for a bit.

"I like it." Hiei admitted.

"Actually, I do too." Yuuske admitted.

"Bit uh…" Kuwabara looked at me. "What if you get hurt?"

"I already am." I pointed out weakly.

"So if you get hurt again, you're gonna be in trouble." Kuwabara argued.

"Shuichi's in more trouble." I shrugged off his concern. "Should we meet here at seven?"

They all nodded and we split, Hiei walking with me.

"I didn't think you'd say anything." Hiei admitted.

"Me neither." I scrubbed at my eyes, which felt like sandpaper. I needed a nap before seven. Was it wrong to sleep with Shuichi in danger? I just didn't think I could stand thinking about it, wandering around the house aimlessly. "You going back to your tree?"

"And leave you to face all the good demons? I don't think so."

I smiled briefly. When all else failed, you could count on Hiei to save the day.

Seven o clock at the apartment building was eerily normal. There was still the push and pull of people, like always. Just another day to all us normal humans hur-hur-hur. It made me almost angry to think of all of them going home to their families that were always there for them, never having to face down things that would inevitably kill them.

"I can't believe they don't know anything." I said softly to Hiei, who leaned up against the wall in the shadows. I folded my arms, wearing a tank top and jeans. It was hot in May.

"Does it concern you?" He asked.

"No." I answered honestly with a strange smile. "It makes me sick."

Hiei didn't answer but I saw a small smirk on his face.

"Oi! We ready to go?" Kuwabara yelled as he approached us. "Wow, Joelle, you look great tonight."

"You're not dating her, stupid." Hiei snapped, standing beside me.

I smiled at Kuwabara. As creepy as the kid was, he had some endearing traits. "Thanks Kuwabara. No, we're waiting for Yuuske."

"Moron." Kuwabara muttered. "He's always late."

"What do you expect?" Hiei said sarcastically. "He thinks he's a real hero."

I wish I thought I was a real hero.

Yuuske popped out the front doors, yawning. "Naptime's over. Let's go save Kurama." He grinned. This guy loved to fight.

I looked at all of them, feeling hopelessly lost suddenly. What if my plan didn't work? What if Keomi would destroy that just like she had my confidence? We all started to walk and I found myself wishing seven thirty would never come.


	6. Bury Me Quick

~ It's a long one! Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 6: Bury Me Quick

Seven thirty wasn't exactly the time I thought would herald some sort of catastrophic event. I mean, couldn't it be midnight like in all the movies? Seven thirty sounded so…well, little kiddish. Did Keomi, the master of crazy fangirlism, have a curfew or something? Ridiculous.

Despite the jokes I was cracking in my head, my limbs trembled. I didn't want to face her down, even with the back up I was packing. I glanced at the men around me and tucked my hair behind my ears. Kuwabara, Yuuske, and Hiei. Surely between the four of us we could take down one person with a hostage…

Despite the odd time, the pavilion beneath the clock tower was deserted. I could see Shuichi from where we entered, looking a little worse for wear as he sat next to Keomi. My heart thumped desperately. The rescue effort from behind would be difficult if she refused to leave his side. With the clock tower to her back, she was covered.

The boys stood by my side as I checked over Shuichi, biting my lip. She'd definitely cut him up for fun. I could see the blood from here, standing on a forested fringe more then a hundred feet away.

"You're shaking." Yuuske informed me quietly. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He moved anxiously behind our tree cover. Couldn't let her see how many people I had enlisted. That would ruin our plans.

"Yes." I said quietly. "Yes I do."

Yuuske shrugged and tapped Hiei's shoulder. He started quietly through the trees around the pavilion.

Hiei hesitated and looked me in the eye. "If you get yourself killed, I'll hurt you." He flicked my forehed. "Don't be a hero." With that, he disappeared after Yuuske.

I rubbed my forehead and smiled. "Come on, Kuwabara. Let's go."

"Alright!" Kuwabara clenched his fist and we made our entrance.

"Well! You're not very punctual, are you Miss Nothing?" Keomi called and the sound of her voice sent shivers down my spine. My arm throbbed and I covered it with my hand. "It's seven thirty one!"

"Where's Shuichi?" I called, though I could see him. "Did you hurt him?"

"Only a little." She giggled. "He really came along quite willingly after I talked to him, didn't you dear?" She looked down at Shuichi with an adoring smiling and it was then I realized that he wasn't even tied up.

He ignored her, staring at us instead.

My palms started to itch and I paused, confused. "Wait…What do you mean?"

"Aw that poor look on your face…! And you had such a good plan too!" She laughed and then her face grew dark. I could see the air around her turning black with her energy as she snarled, "Did you think I was stupid? Did you think I couldn't sense your friends? I brought help! But even if I didn't…" She smiled and the energy was gone. "…Shuichi wouldn't move to save you!" She laughed again and started to pet his head.

And he just sat there.

I gaped at him, begging him with my eyes to move; cut her, smack her, just get away from her hand…!

"You see…he really is obedient when you press the right buttons…" Keomi said lovingly, her black hair falling in her face. "But I'm amazed! He actually had to see proof of how easy it was to kill you and his mother before he came to me." She paused. "Such a sweet boy…" She backhanded him viciously.

"No!" I cried out. "Keomi, just let him go!"

"And let the best thing that's ever happened to me get away?" She looked at me triumphantly. "Never!"

I bit my lip, thinking. She said she had help. Brute force wasn't going to aid us at all in this fight. Her numbers might be more then ours.

"You're sick, you know that?" Kuwabara snarled and started to advance forward.

"Stop." I said sharply and put a hand up. "If you attack now, she'll kill Shuichi easily." I gnawed on my lip. There was no other way… "Keomi, let's play a game."

She cocked her head to the side. "Game?"

"Whatever game you want. You decide the rules. Winner gets Shuichi." I gestured to him. "It's not like he's going anywhere anyway."

He glared at me and I shivered. He apparently didn't appreciate the idea.

Keomi paused, thinking this over, a large smile on her face. I could tell she liked the idea. She was just trying to see what she had to lose.

"Kuwabara." I muttered. "See if you can sense anyone out of the ordinary. While I draw her attention, take care of them."

"What if you lose?" Kuwabara asked nervously. "She might decide to play a game you can't win."

"I won't lose." I said with more confidence then I felt. I blamed it on the adrenaline. "Please do as I ask."

He put a hand on my shoulder in a comradely fashion. "Be careful."

"I like it!" Keomi announced finally. "I will play a game with you."

"What game, Keomi?" I asked.

"Hide and seek." She giggled and pulled out a knife, stroking the edge with a sick loving attention. "Here's the rules. I'll give you ten minutes to hide anywhere in the city. I have to find you within…oh…say, an hour. If I find you, I kill you and you lose!"

"But if I win?" I pressed, swallowing.

She shrugged, still smiling. "You won't. But ah…" She played with a lock of Shuichi's hair. "I guess I can give him back to you."

"You're it." I said flatly, locking eyes with Shuichi one last time.

He was definitely not happy with me.

"I'll turn around! Don't try to kill me or he dies." She threatened half heartedly. She was excited with new prey and a new way to attain the death of others she craved. She turned and put her hands over her eyes, leaning against the clock tower. "I'll count to six hundred! One…two…"

I turned and immediately took off, my legs almost giving out underneath me from how much I was shaking. I needed the best hiding place; a place where even a demon couldn't find me. That was almost impossible. I'd tried so many times to find a place demon-free so I could just pretend I was normal. I hadn't found such a place. They always found me no matter what I did.

Seven minutes left…

I looked around, breathing hard. Where was a place where I could disguise myself, then? Not necessarily demon free but at least somewhere that she couldn't pick out my individual scent. I paused as I saw a hearse pull up to a cemetery, not more then a few feet away.

That was it. I would be dead. Six feet under, everything smelled like humans. The dirt would confuse her and make it hard for her to sense me. But how would I get out? I searched my pockets as I quickly checked around the hearse. No one. They wouldn't even see me slip into the coffin. I swallowed heavily and prepared myself. It wouldn't be too bad. The corpse was freshly dead. It couldn't be that awful looking. But the thought of touching something dead left my skin to crawl uneasily.

Five minutes…

I opened the casket and held back the urge to throw up as I dragged out a man a few years older then me. Now where to put him? I threw a black cloth I found in the back over him, making it look like just a rumbled pile of black in the back. I slipped into the casket, closed the door, and took a deep breath. They had better bury me quick.

Three minutes left…

I was quietly lifted out of the hearse and placed in a grave not too far away. I felt a panic attack start as I heard pounding on the casket top. Dirt. They were piling dirt on me. It was then that it sank home that I didn't have a plan.

One minute left…

It was too late anyway. They had a dirt lifting construction vehicle (?) which made the job go by quick. I couldn't have escaped this stupid plan anyway. I took a deep breath and counted in my head as I tried to think of a way to get me out.

I couldn't get word to the others, for fear that Keomi would find out. I had read somewhere, however, that if you were buried in a casket, you could breathe for six hours. The game had to only last an hour and then she'd set Shuichi free. I tried to calm my beating heart as I closed my eyes, not that it mattered anyway. I'd just relax for an hour. Just an hour, and then I'd figure out what to do.

_Thunk!_

I started, my heart pounding in the dark as I stared what I thought was above me. I must have fallen asleep waiting for the hour to end, sitting in a casket all by myself. But Keomi had found me. She had sensed me beneath her feet and was now coming to kill me. I whimpered as the edges of the casket creaked, like someone was trying to pry it open. Would she be quick? Just stab me through the heart and go on to kill everyone else? Or would she take her time and make me suffer? Light flooded in, blinding me and making me cry out in pain. That hurt my eyes. Hands grabbed me and helped me out of the casket.

"Joelle, are you alright? Joelle!"

"I gotta admit. That's pretty clever, using a casket to hide from her."

"Clever? That's super creepy!"

Shuchi? Yuuske? Kuwabara? I grimaced and put a hand over my eyes, trying to get used to the light quickly. "Am I dead?"

"Very nearly." Shuichi said somewhere near my ear. He didn't sound too happy. "What on earth possessed you to get yourself buried?"

"It worked?" I smiled hopefully up at him, squinting.

He held onto me as I leaned against him, scowling. "It took us four hours to find you! You realize you only had another hour and your oxygen would've been gone?"

I was giddy, not from lack of oxygen, but the fact that I had won. I had actually done something worthwhile. I had been brave. "I'm sorry…" I murmured, dazed.

"Hm." He snorted. "Let's get out of here before the police are called on us." He helped me up and pointed. "Kuwabara, grab her hand.

Kuwabara stood, peering over the edge of the hole at me. He grinned. "Way to think! It took me forever to sense where you were and you were only six feet under us!"

"Only?" Shuichi muttered.

I shivered as the wind sweeped over my bare shoulders. I had a feeling I was going to get an earful. I grabbed Kuwabara's hand and he almost yanked me out. I sat on the grass and took a deep breath, smiling. I had done it.

Yuuske jogged up to us as Kuwabara helped Shuichi out of the hole. "I just talked to Hiei and the neighbors reported hearing voices. We better get out of here."

We hurriedly left the scene of the crime, walking as casually as possible towards civilization.

"You guys are covered in dirt." I pointed out as we walked under street lights.

"They were busy saving you from suffocation, stupid girl." Hiei appeared beside me. "What possessed you to play dead like that?" He didn't look too happy with me either. "What did I say about playing the hero?"

Maybe I was going to get two earfuls…

I shrugged sheepishly, my victory short-lived. "I was just trying to…be useful…"

"You're no use to anyone dead." Shuichi pointed out.

I looked at the ground, biting my lip. I guess there was a difference between being brave and being stupid and I had crossed the line.

"Hey, don't be like that." Yuuske put an arm around my shoulders. "She saved your life, Kurama. And your mom's."

"That's true." Shuichi said quietly, and then he sighed. "I'm sorry, Joelle. I was just…concerned."

Hiei snorted. "I'm leaving. Make sure she doesn't bury herself again." He glared at me. "Idiot girl."

Ouch.

"You would've lost!" I yelled at him, hands clenched.

There was a dead silence as everyone stopped and stared at me, wide eyed.

I was shaking, but I was so mad. I was tired of being yelled at, never retaliating, and letting everyone walk all over me. I pushed Yuuske's arm off me and continued. "You wouldn't have thought of pulling a dead body out of a stupid casket and letting people bury you! Could you imagine that, huh Hiei? Could you?" I retracted suddenly, putting my hand over my mouth as tears blurred my vision. That was weird. If there was one thing I never did, it was yelling. I had gone through my entire life just as easy as can be, choosing to ignore rather then to fight. _Everything's fine over here…nothing to be concerned about… _But hearing Shuichi and him diss my idea after I'd worked so hard and been so scared just pushed me over the edge.

"I think," Shuichi said after a bit, putting his arm around my shoulders firmly. "Everyone's tired. Why don't we all say goodnight? It's well past midnight."

Everyone did so, awkwardly, except for Hiei. He just turned his back and disappeared.

Shuichi steered me towards my house and we walked in silence.

"I'm sorry." I sniffed.

"I know." He replied.

"I didn't mean to worry everyone."

"I know."

"How's your mother?"

"Fine. I checked on her a few hours ago and she's none the wiser." He smiled. "Thanks to you, at least."

I shivered again in the chill and he tightened his grip on my shoulders.

"Were you scared?"

"Terrified."

"I'd imagine." He said dryly. "You faced off a demon in a round of head games and managed to get yourself buried alive."

"The way you say it makes me sound a lot braver." I said softly and hesitantly wrapped an arm around his waist.

There was another silence as we passed through crowds. They all gave us strange looks. We must've looked strange. Two high school kids, one all dirty and the other with red eyes from crying, walking down the street at almost one in the morning.

"You know Hiei was just worried about you, right?" He said as we passed the park.

I didn't answer.

"I've never seen him get this attached to one person." Shuichi marveled.

I didn't answer again. I was tired and upset. But boy, was he warm…

I opened my front door with the key in my pocket and heard Shuichi yawn from behind me. "Are you okay?" I asked him suddenly, realizing he must be as tired and sore as I was.

"Just a little tired. I'll be fine." He offered me a small smile as the door opened.

"She cut you up though." I pointed out, stepping inside.

"The cuts are superficial." He shrugged.

"Let me get some of my brother's clothes and you can take a shower and get cleaned up." I put the key on the table and jogged up the stairs, stopping halfway because I was so exhausted. Getting buried alive can take something out of you.

I opened the door to Tristan's room and made a face. So dirty! I waded through dirty clothes to his closet and grabbed some random things that looked like they'd match. I waded back out and tried to shut the door, but failed. So much trash! I shook my head in disgust and started down the stairs. "He's a bit bigger then you but –" I paused.

Shuichi was asleep in the chair in the living room. He supported his head with a hand, his eyes closed as he breathed in deeply.

I swallowed and allowed my eyes to wander over his figure.

He was tired and the way his shoulders sagged testified to the fact. Yet in just a t shirt, suddenly I could see all the muscles that coordinated to make up him, like fibers in clothing.

I swallowed again and looked at the floor. Well that was embarrassing… I walked quietly over and debated over where to set the clothes. I didn't know when he'd wake up, but I at least wanted him to feel comfortable. I decided on the small table next to the chair he sat in that sported an expensive looking vase and fake flowers. That was easy enough. Unfortunately, to get to it, I'd have to lean across him.

I got as close as I dared, which was a lot closer since he was asleep, and took a deep breath. I couldn't look at his face, otherwise I'd get dizzy. He looked so good. I put a hand on the edge of the arm rest and leaned over slowly, reaching for the table…

"What're you doing?" He asked, sounding tired.

I froze. "Um." I drew my arm back a little. "Clothes."

He opened his eyes. "Oh." He looked up at me. "Thank you."

I stared back, unable to reply. His green eyes just sucked the breath out of me.

His hand touched mine and he rubbed his hand up and down my arm. "You're cold." He murmured.

"Oh." I replied as I leaned in closer. "I'm sorry."

He smiled and put a hand up, cupping my face in his hand. "Joelle?"

"Hmm?" He was only an inch away. Our noses were touching now and I could feel excitement pulsing through me like a drug.

"You're not sorry." He kissed me once, tentatively, like he was gauging my reaction; getting a feel for what he was doing.

That was just fine with me. I couldn't have done anything about it anyway. My legs shook and I almost collapsed on him. He was kissing me. _He was kissing ME!_

He pulled back and switched angles, kissing me again. "Are you?"

"No." I replied and he smiled against my lips.

For getting buried alive, this had to be the best reward ever.


	7. Demon World Tattoo

~ FYI, I have no idea if the tattoo thing actually happens. I have actually not gotten through the entire series so… Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 7: Demon World Tattoo

It was the day after, when I was sitting in the classroom, that I realized that I had forgotten to ask what had happened to Keomi. You'd think it would cross my mind to see what was up, but unfortunately, all I could think about was the kiss Shuichi and I had shared last night… It took over my brain and showed up on everything I did. My homework had doodles of eyes and hearts, my romance novel had the name Shuichi in it, anything you could think of that was cheesy and ridiculous, I did. But as I stared at my teacher, trying to shake Shuichi's image out of my head, I realized none of us were safe yet. Keomi could still be out there. I didn't see blood on anyone's clothing, nor a body last night.

Though we had agreed not to, I walked up to Shuichi during lunch.

The crowd that had usually gathered around him, parted like I was Moses. _Gaijin's approaching our local genius…? Has the world indeed gone mad?_ "Um, can I talk to you?" I looked at his shoes. "Privately?"

"Of course." Ever the gentleman, Shuichi stood up and walked with me out of the classroom. He glanced down the hall and then said in a low voice, "What's the matter? Do you sense something?"

I shook my head. In fact, I had found it rather puzzling that my freaky-sense hadn't gone off all day. "No. Nothing like that. I just wanted to know what happened to Keomi."

He took in breath to speak and then held it as a group of girls walked past. "Let's ah…convene on the roof, shall we?"

We walked in silence and my palms itched. I really wanted to lace my fingers with his but here in the daylight, he probably wouldn't appreciate it.

He opened the door for me and I stepped out into the warm afternoon air. It was nice not to have to wear a jacket anymore. He shut the door and turned to me. "Keomi's gone. We have no idea where she might be."

"What happened?" I asked breathlessly.

He put his hands in his pockets. "She came back after an hour and started to cry at my feet. She said she didn't mean it and she really didn't have help, but then Hiei and Yuuske dragged out some lower level demons she had gainfully employed and her lie was exposed. I asked her where the one watching my mother was and she pointed to one of the demons that were unconscious on the ground. Naturally, we made a move to ah…" He glanced at me. "…detain her-"

"To kill her, you mean." I felt like an ice cube had fallen down my back. The thought of anyone dying, no matter what they deserved, just chilled me.

"More like…question." He said uncomfortably. "I would still like to know who this Sasaki character is. Anyway, she was sucked into some kind of hole. I'm assuming it's a hole in the barrier that protects this world from the demon world. The vortex closed up before any of us could go in after her and she was gone."

I tried to swallow all of this. "There's…a barrier?"

"Oh." He blinked. "I forgot you're new to this. Yes, there is a barrier. It stops most demons from passing in and out of the human world."

"And she…got through?"

"Yes." He looked troubled. "And not of her own free will. Something hooked into her and dragged her back…"

I shuddered at the thought. "So that's what happened."

"Are you…concerned for her?" He asked, sounding a bit incredulous. I guessed he was trying not to sound too judging.

I shook my head, hugging myself. "No, it just sounds horrible…I don't think I could see that without getting freaked out."

He smiled. "That's actually what I like about you." He walked up to me and took a lock of my hair, twisting it between his fingers. "You're not…insensitive to that sort of thing." He put his forehead against mine.

"I've been thinking about last night." I confessed timidly.

He smiled again, eyes closed. "So have I." He kissed me quickly, leaving me dizzy and deliriously happy. "Come on. Lunch is almost over."

Hiei met us on our walk from school.

I paused, pretty sure he wanted to kill me. I mean, I had yelled in his face, after all. No one likes that kind of abuse from some chunky chick who's frightened of her own shadow most days.

Shuichi looked back at me. "What?"

"He's gonna kill me." I whispered.

"I would, but then I'd be bored." Hiei called from where he was leaning against the tree. "Koenma's waiting for you."

Shuichi pursed his lips. "Good." He started for my house.

I held up my hand helplessly as he plowed straight for my front door; there goes a man with a mission, ladies and gentlemen. I sighed and turned to Hiei. "Um…Hiei?"

He didn't look at me, more interested with his nails, of all things.

"Look, I'm sorry I yelled I just-"

"Don't give me a sob story." He walked up and flicked me on the forehead. "Hurry up or something will eat you, idiot girl."

I squeaked and hurried ahead, him following behind me. I thought I saw a smile on his face, but it could've been a trick of the light…

Koenma and Shuichi were talking by the time we came in. They rose as I entered, which made me feel like quite the lady.

"Just the person I wanted to see." Koenma said. "I was just telling Kurama about your…er…predicament…"

I glanced at Shuichi, concerned, but he refused to look at me. He was blushing. How odd. "What is it?"

"Well you see…" Koenma shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Hiei why don't you and I go check the outside for any other demons." Shuichi said determinedly, walking towards his friend.

"Why? I see no point-" Hiei started to argue but Shuichi firmly pushed him out the door and shut it behind them.

I stared, confused. What on earth was going on?

"Have a seat, Joelle." Koenma sighed, collapsing on the couch. He looked tired.

I did as he asked, sitting in the chair across from him.

He looked at me for a bit, then said, "I know this sounds odd, but you do understand the concept of a tattoo, correct?" He didn't wait for me to answer before he launched into his analogy. "People get tattoos to convert their own skin into canvases; to create works of art that are permanent for all to see. They also get them to mark themselves, like how some soldiers tattoo their dogtags on their body. They do it in order to permanently identify themselves."

I nodded, still confused. I assumed this was an analogy and kept quiet.

"You see, Joelle, you've been ah…tattooed, in the demon world." And then he paused, probably to let it sink in.

I was, obviously, still confused. "What does it look like?" I asked intelligently.

He laughed a little and clasped his hands in front of himself. "Ah ha….no. It's not an actual tattoo. You've been um…marked as something in the demon world and we've just received word of it."

"What am I?"

"Well…you're Kurama's." He said, looking away and scratching his face.

There was a silence as this one actually sunk in.

"Oh." I whispered. "You mean me and him…?"

He nodded.

I just landed myself an engagement tattoo, ladies and gentlemen.

"Oh my…" I sunk into the chair. "How did…?"

"I believe Keomi is to blame." Koenma stated. "She may have gone back and spread rumors around, hoping that Kurama's enemies would come hunting you down as his weak link."

"And…are they?"

"Not that we know of. In fact, I think everyone's staying away from you now." Koenma replied dryly. "It's kinda like you got a demon repellent tattoo. Nobody wants to mess with you because they're afraid of incurring Kurama's wrath."

Shuichi? Wrath? I smiled at that. "He gets angry?"

Koenma just looked at me. "You mean…he hasn't got mad yet?"

I shook my head.

"Then you thank whatever deity you pray to. He's scary." Koenma vowed vehemently. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

I hesitated. "Well…if he is…"

"He said it certainly made things easier."

I blushed. "Oh…"

Koenma's eyes widened. "Whoa that sounded wrong! I – well, he meant that it just made things easier as far as making sure you're okay!" He exhaled. "I really hope that made sense…"

"It does." I assured him.

"I hope you don't mind that he comes with me for a while." Koenma looked at me hopefully. He was asking my permission to steal Shuichi? We seriously weren't actually married, dude. "There's some things I'd like to interrogate him about in a more…well, safer environment."

I shook my head. "I don't mind. Honest."

Koenma smiled. "You're a great kid, Joelle."

I blushed. "Thank you, sir." How was it that he acted like he knew me? I'd never met this guy before, and I certainly didn't think my parents had any idea who he was.

I turned my thoughts to other things as he went to go find Shuichi. Particularly, my common law marriage to Shuichi – demon style.

Yuuske and Kuwabara came over to my place that night, claiming that since it was the last night they'd see Shuichi for a while, they had to party. I think they just wanted an excuse to celebrate another victory, which they counted Keomi's disappearance as such.

It was also the night I first met Botan, Keiko, Kuwabara's elder sister, and Yukina.

The doorbell rang and I left the guys to go answer it. I was immediately enveloped in a pair of arms that threatened to squeeze the life out of me. I thought of Keomi and my eyes widened.

"Oh, I'm so excited to finally meet Kurama's girl!" Someone squealed, and I realized it was a lot less antagonistic sounding then Keomi's voice.

I blinked as I was pushed back and saw a skinny girl not much older then me, with bright blue hair and violet eyes. She smiled at me widely. "You're a lot prettier then Koenma said you were."

I blushed. "I um…"

"Botan! You're late!" Yuuske yelled from my kitchen.

"That's because you told us the wrong time, Yuuske!"

I looked behind Botan to see a younger girl with brown hair pouting from the doorway. She held what looked like some sort of penguin/rabbit hybrid that blinked at me in owlish despondency. Beside her was another girl with a sort of sea blue color of hair and a soft smile on her lips. They were joined by a woman who looked a lot like Kuwabara – except ten times prettier. She put out a cigarette on my front porch. "Hope you don't mind us all coming over." They all walked past me. "What did you say your name was?"

"Overwhelmed." I squeaked, unsure of what to do now. They all just paraded into my house! I peeked out the door to see if there were any more surprise guests and shut it, turning just in time to see Shuichi get hugged by the intense blue haired one.

I could've killed her right there.

Aw, who am I kidding? I wasn't going to do anything. I'd probably end up stuttering and asking her not to hate me.

"Joelle, this is Botan," Yuuske pointed at my sworn enemy. "That's Keiko." He pointed at the younger brown haired one. "That's Yukina." His finger turned to the girl who was being worshipped by Kuwabara. "And that's Kuwabara's older sister." He pointed to the smoker next.

I waved hesitantly and looked around. That makes….nine people, including me, in my house. In _my_ house. How did Gaijin turn out to translate into 'party animal'?

Shuichi noticed my look and untangled himself from Botan, coming around the table. I didn't want to talk to him. I saw that look.

I studied my toes, oddly realizing I should probably pain them sometime soon.

"Sorry about all this. Yuuske thought it wouldn't be right if we didn't invite them." Shuichi said in my ear as a round of uproarious laughter started.

"It's just fine." I said to my toes. My toes, obviously, acted like they hadn't heard me.

Shuichi slipped his hand around mine. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yes." I felt myself glow a little and I looked up at him. "I'm just fine."

He smiled back, then hesitated. "Listen, I've been meaning to ask how you feel about the whole…well, the um…current situation."

I blinked. "Huh?" I looked at him and then blushed. "Oh. That. I'm…I'm okay with it if you are…"

He looked at me helplessly. "You'd say that no matter what. I mean, what do you really –"

"Come join the party, you two!" Kuwabara grabbed us, looking a little drunk.

"Where did you get the alcohol?" I asked, dismayed.

"I don't remember!" Kuwabara yelled to no one in particular, taking his seat next to Yukina.

I looked up at Shuichi. "I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

"I _know_ that's not a good idea." He stated, but he looked amused.

I couldn't help it. I smiled too as I sat next to all these people. Then it hit me.

_The Gaijin had friends._

I smiled wider and joined into the conversation. I had friends now. I had friends and someone who cared and would never leave me.


	8. The Concept of Context Clues

~This chapter is dedicated to Jauqeline Dupoi. Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 8: The Concept of Context Clues

I was asleep by the time everyone left, including Shuichi. I barely remember him kissing me on the forehead, but I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not…

I woke up too late to go to school, which was a bonus for me. I loved school, but my eyes felt gritty and my back sore from sleeping on the floor. With no one to make me go, I just rolled over and went back to sleep for a while.

I finally woke up when I heard somebody walking around on the porch outside. Slowly I sat up, rubbing my eyes as I looked at the clock. It was noon. I never slept that late. I peered around, looking at the mess my house had become. I would be dead meat if Tristan or my father came home. More then dead meat. I'd be dead human meat, ready to be devoured by hungry piranhas. Don't doubt my brother. He was into some wacky stuff.

It smelled like Hiei, but I couldn't be sure. I wrapped a blanket around me and opened the back door.

Sure enough, he was sitting on the porch, staring out at the small rock garden we'd started. My backyard was neatly manicured; in fact, disgustingly so. It was pretty, I suppose, but I liked the wilder gardens where things just grew in random places; like a jungle.

I sat next to him, my eyes scanning my yard. "Have you been here long?"

"Since Kurama left." He said.

I didn't reply and we stared at the garden for a while.

"You need more trees." He said.

"You need better places to sleep." I replied and yawned.

"Says the girl who spent the night on the floor." He shot me a dirty look and I smiled. Then he turned more serious. "You and Kurama are…awfully close."

I looked at him, but he glanced away, determined to keep his facial expression from me. "I suppose so."

"Do you like it?"

"It's… new." This was oddly talkative for him. I wondered briefly what he was beating at.

"You mean you don't like it."

I hesitated. "It's not that I don't, I just…that sounds like a big misunderstanding and –"

"Whatever." He said, sounding angry.

I looked at him, bewildered, as he stood and disappeared into his favorite tree. What on earth had gotten into him? I bit my lip, concerned, and went inside. I needed a shower and to clean.

I had just finished picking up the kitchen and was sweeping it when my back door opened magically on its own. There was a rush of wind and Hiei appeared on my kitchen counter, legs crossed and arms folded. I didn't look up. "Hi."

"If you don't like it, why do you continue to allow it to happen?"

I paused. Here we go again… "I already said its not that I don't like it. Its just that its new for me. I haven't had someone…well, this interested in me since I was…" I counted on my fingers, looking up at the ceiling. "Fifteen."

"What happened then?" He asked.

_I became a coward._ I thought. Outwardly, I took a deep breath. "Nothing. I just moved to Japan is all.

"You're lying."

I always forgot that Hiei had no tack whatsoever…

I turned to him. "Well, it's not important…" I rubbed my arm.

"Alright then." He turned his head away boredly, looking out the window.

I looked at him for a little bit, then continued sweeping.

"Does Kurama know what happened?" He sounded accusatory.

The questions! What was his problem? "No."

"You haven't told anyone?" He realized.

"No."

"Tell me."

I looked at him, dismayed. I either had two choices, directly say no to him and face his wrath, or say yes and spill my guts. Neither sounded promising. But at least with the yes I wouldn't have to do something scary. Say, like, bury myself again. Then again, he might just do it for me.

I went back to sweeping a bit and said, "My last boyfriend lived in California." I straightened up and then leaned back against the stove opposite of him. "His name was Zach. He was nice and pleasant enough, I guess. He swore a lot." I smiled a little. "But he just wanted me for one thing so…"

I left it hanging, hoping he'd get it.

"What?" He blinked.

I forgot. He didn't seem to understand the concept of context clues. _Fill in the blanks, m'boy! _I refused to look at him, looking at the floor. "Um…sex."

"Oh." Not even a blush. He pretty much was the same as usual.

"Yeah…I said no." I swallowed uncomfortably. This was the climax of the story. "But one night…well he just didn't listen to me…" I played with the hem of my shirt. "Listen, I got to finish this." I said suddenly, changing the subject. I felt tears pricking the back of my eyes. It was one of the biggest reasons why I hated myself so much. I really didn't feel like talking about it.

Hiei was quiet as I finished sweeping up.

I turned my back to him so I could put the broom in the closet. Instead, I broke down crying. I was such a coward.

"So that's why you don't like it."

"I said I'm fine with it!" I yelled, leaning against the door jam. I paused. Why did I always end up yelling at him?

There was a silence as I tried to stop crying.

"You should stop crying. Everyone will blame me for making you cry again." He said gruffly.

I rubbed at my eyes, smiling a little. "Sorry." I turned, shutting the closet. "I think I'll just go watch a movie…" I started walking to the TV room downstairs and stood next to the couch, grabbing the remotes as I tried to figure out how to turn the dang thing on. I usually didn't watch movies.

There was a rush of air and I jumped as Hiei suddenly appeared next to me. I tripped over my own feet and pitched forward.

He caught me, yelling, "You idiot girl! It's just…!" And then he paused.

We were only inches away, his arms around my waist and my hands on his forearms to stop me from falling. My brain tried to flicker into life, telling me it was wrong; trying to remind me of Shuichi. But all I could think about is how all Hiei's strange behavior suddenly made sense. The random bouts of anger, the way he had attached to me a lot more then Shuichi would've expected… It all made sense now.

He hesitated, which was odd for him, then lowered his mouth to mine.

Shuichi's kiss had been intense. This one, however, made my legs give out.

We fell onto the floor and neither of us cared. He put his hand next to my head and the other one on my waist, leaning down to kiss me again.

So wrong! I was going to get in so much trouble for this! I was frickin' cheating on Shuichi! Guilt overrode me and I pushed him away, turning my head. "I…" I said and then left it hanging, staring at his arm. I couldn't say it.

"What?" He paused. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

Context clues? He was learning…!

I didn't reply so he started sucking on my earlobe.

Ooo…cheater…

I turned my head in response and he kissed me hard. I opened my mouth slightly in surprise and he slipped his tongue into my mouth. I grabbed a hold of his hair as he shifted slightly, his left hand sliding down to my hip.

"You cheat." I said breathlessly as we broke away.

"I win." He muttered, kissing me again. "Always."

When he finally let me off the floor, it was around four in the afternoon. I went upstairs and he disappeared out back again. I passed a mirror and paused, uneasily fingering a dark red mark on my neck. What had I just done?

I looked away, concerned. Hiei definitely wasn't interested in my feelings like Shuichi was. This couldn't end well, at all. I'd just thrown it all away because this coward was running around like a moron, being confused about feelings.

Then something else out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. It looked like a tiny spider bite on the inside of my wrist. How had that happened…?

I got a drink and searched for my cell phone. Shuichi said he'd text me when he was back in the human world and although I knew it was too soon, it would definitely make me feel better if he was. I searched pretty much my entire house and couldn't find it. That was odd. Where had it gone?

I walked out onto the back porch. "Hiei, have you seen my cell phone?"

"That block of a thing that vibrates and emits annoying sounds?" That was Hiei. Our local cynic. "No."

I frowned, puzzled. I had check every corner of my house and yet I still couldn't find it. That was odd, and a bit concerning.

And then, I could smell him. It wasn't Hiei and it definitely wasn't Shuichi. It was another demon, running from my house. He'd slipped past me as my back was turned and was going out the front door.

"Hiei-!" I called but he was already gone, stalking the thing that had invaded my home. I stepped inside and closed my eyes, searching with my freaky sense for more of them.

Nothing. Nada. Probably just a lone dare devil that thought he could kill me while I slept.

I didn't have to wait long for Hiei to drag the small demon back in. He had it by its neck, dragging it over the doorstep as it choked and spluttered, begging for mercy. I was surprised Hiei had let it live, actually.

"Tell her what you did to her." He snarled, throwing it at my feet.

I squeaked and backed up as it started sniveling at my feet.

"I didn't mean it! I was just doing what Keomi asked me too! She told me, 'Take this poison, sweetie, and prick her when she's not paying attention. It'll kill her quickly'! She said she'd give me everything I wanted if I agreed!"

"He took your cell phone too." Hiei interjected, tossing me it.

I gasped and caught it just barely. "So…I'm poisoned?" Those marks on my wrist…

They both looked at me, one guiltily, and one concerned.

"Yes." Said the guilty one at my feet.

"How? I don't…feel any different…" I looked at my hands.

"I don't know. Kurama's better at this kind of thing then me." Hiei confessed. "I just brutally kill the poisoners." He said coldly and the other demon wailed.

It hugged my feet. "Please don't let him kill me! Please! I'll help you and be your slave! I'll-!"

"Get. Off. Her." Hiei snarled, yanking it back by its tail. I didn't even see his sword but the next thing I knew, the small demon's head was off and I had blood all over my kitchen floor.

I could've puked. In fact, I felt more nauseous now then I had before. I ran up to the bathroom and threw up into the toilet, feeling a burning crawl over my skin. It was so sick that Hiei could just murder like that and not care. But then again…Shuichi had done the same thing to save my life when we first officially met. So why was I feeling sick now?

I finished and wiped my face, shakily sitting on the floor with my back against the door.

"Are you dead?" Hiei asked from the other side. The sad part was, he meant it. He sincerely wanted to know if I was still alive.

Well, I had been poisoned.

I opened the door, still sitting on the floor. "I'm fine…sorry…" I said weakly.

"You don't look fine." He pointed out. "When is Kurama supposed to be back?"

"I don't know…" I leaned my head against the cool doorjamb, wishing I had a blanket. Suddenly, it was so cold…

"I'll just have to go drag him back here, I suppose." Hiei said darkly. He looked at me again, squatting down so we were level. "Yuuske is supposed to be here with Kuwabara in an hour. They're both morons, but they'll take care of you while I go find Kurama."

I nodded.

"Idiot girl." He muttered, standing up. He walked down the stairs and I waited there, feeling sicker then before.

The second Yuuske and Kuwabara stepped into the door, Hiei took off. They looked at me and Kuwabara loudly voiced his concern.

"What's the matter, Joelle? You don't look too good." He looked at me closely as I pulled a blanket out of the closet.

I smiled a little. "Just feeling a little sick…" There wasn't any need to worry them.

"Well go sit down on the couch." Yuuske pointed. "I'm not good with sick chicks so I'm calling Botan."

"Hey, that's a good idea, Uremeshi." Kuwabara said. He looked at me uneasily. "Do ya…do ya need anything?"

I lay down on the couch. "Sleep…" I yawned. "Wake me up…when Shuichi comes…"

"Seriously, Joelle. What happened?" Yuuske asked.

"Poisoned…" I muttered, my eyes closed. I was so tired.

"Oh no you don't!" Yuuske shook me. "You have to stay awake! Otherwise, you don't wake back up! Kuwabara, go get some water. If she won't wake up, we'll do it for her."

I didn't like that. I opened my eyes and sat up. "I'm…awake…" I rubbed my forehead. "Don't put water on me…"

"I'm calling Botan." Yuuske announced. "Where's your phone?"

I rummaged around in my bra and held it out to him, noticing with a smile as he looked hesitant to take it. "Sorry…it's just easier then my pocket…"

"I hear you get cancer that way." Kuwabara said, sitting next to me.

I shrugged. "Then cancer is convenient."

Botan was over quickly after that, looking extremely concerned. "Do you know what type of poison it is?" She asked me, feeling up my forehead.

I shook my head. It was taking a lot of energy just to talk. I was so sleepy…

Botan bit her lip. "We should get word to Kurama right away. He'll know what to do."

"No." I grabbed onto her hand. "Hiei…went…" Her blue hair was blurring into everything. I could pretty much feel my eyes rolling back into my head.

"Hey! No! None of that!" Yuuske slapped my cheeks a few times.

I pushed his hands away. "Why…why do they want me dead so much…?"

"We don't know." Botan said softly. "We have no idea."

"We should…find out…" I put my head in my hands, leaning forward. "What did…what did I ever…do to them…?"

"Where's your family?" Botan asked.

"I don't know…" I confessed, yawning again. "In hell waiting…for me…?"

Now I was saying wacky things. Great. What was next, doing the caramelldansen dance?

"How many people do you have in your family?" Botan asked, probably trying to get me to talk to her.

Yuuske paced and Kuwabara rubbed his hands together anxiously.

"Umm…Three."

"I thought there was just two?" Botan said then sucked in air.

I looked at her and she had her hand over her mouth. "What…?"

"Nothing. I didn't say anything. Who's in your family?"

"My brother Tristan…my dad, George….and my mom, Vianca." I ran my hands through my hair. Why couldn't I think?

"Where's your mother?"

"In the states…she doesn't love me…" Where'd that come from?

"I'm sure she does." Botan assured me, rubbing my back. "She probably just…shows it differently."

I shook my head. "She left me…she left me and Tristan and took off…"

It took another hour before any help would come.

I passed out at least three times, each time I got doused in water and slapped around. I was finally sitting, shivering from the cold, as Botan tried to get an answer out of me with different questions.

The door busted open and I closed my eyes again as everyone looked away from me. Please let that be someone who'll let me sleep…

Warm arms wrapped around me as I heard a voice say, "Why is she all wet?"

"We were trying to keep her awake." Yuuske replied. "Can you figure out what's wrong?"

Shuichi…

He felt my forehead. "High temperature, fatigue….has she been delirious at all?" Gee, didn't he sound like a doctor.

"A little. But she's been doing great on answering my questions." Botan replied.

"Joelle, please open your eyes." Shuichi sounded tense.

I did, my eyes fluttering open to see his green ones. "Am I dead…?" I asked.

"Not on my watch." He replied.

I didn't reply. I passed out.

When I came to, it was quickly and unpleasantly. Yuuske's words kept echoing in my head as I came around. _You have to stay awake! Otherwise, you don't wake back up! _I cried out and shot up, sitting up and glancing around.

I was on the floor of the living room, the others sleeping wherever they could find a place. I tried to quiet my breathing, looking around fearfully. Where was Shuichi? Was this hell? I felt something touch my arm and I blinked, looking down.

There he was, lying next to me sleeping. I blushed a bit and drew my knees up to my chest, staring out at all of them. They'd all stuck around for me. _Me_ of all people. I smiled into my kneecaps, watching them all snore. It was nice to have friends.

I carefully placed the blanket that was over me over Shuichi and stood up.

"Where're you going?" He whispered drowsily. He must be a light sleeper.

"To go get some fresh air." I replied. "I'll be back."

He didn't reply, apparently satisfied with this answer.

I smiled and walked out the back door.

Sure enough, there was Hiei sitting underneath a tree farther into our yard, next to the little koi pond we kept.

I walked up to him. "Hi."

He didn't reply.

"Thank you." I said softly. "For saving me."

"I didn't." He replied sharply. "Kurama did."

I didn't reply, unsure what to say.

Finally he exhaled shortly. "He's lucky."

I didn't ask what he meant, but I sat next to him, both of us looking into the koi pond. We both knew that we couldn't let something like what had happened yesterday happen again. In fact, it shouldn't have happened at all. It was time to go back to normal, now. Him helping stand guard and me with Shuichi…

I shivered in the night air.

"You should go back inside." Hiei suggested.

"Okay." I sighed and started to get up.

"Wait." Hiei grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. He took a hold of my head and kissed me savagely.

I couldn't breathe, but I did melt. I put my hands on either side of him, resorting to my hands and knees as we shared one last kiss.

We broke away and he turned away from me. That was my signal that our conversation was officially over.

I got up slowly, gave him one last look, and went back inside.


	9. Your Mother Was an Amazing Woman

~ Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 9: Your Mother Was an Amazing Woman

When I woke up, I was on top of Shuichi. I opened my eyes slowly and stared as my vision went up and down with his breathing. What on earth…?

"Well, I'm glad you're awake." He said softly and I tilted my head up so my chin was on his chest. He smiled down at me. "Everyone left. I was waiting for you to wake up."

"You saved me." I murmured, brushing a hand over his cheek.

"I was paying you back."

"You saved me twice." I pointed out. I was getting way too used to being in awkward positions with him… There oughtta be a law against that.

"You're right. You should pay me back." His eyes flashed, amused.

"How?" I said sleepily. I wasn't getting the innuendo this early in the morning.

He didn't answer. Instead, he brushed the hair out of my eyes and stroked my cheekbones. "You have the most esoteric eyes. It makes me wonder, sometimes…what's behind all that blue…"

"Fear." I whispered.

He looked at me, concerned, and laid his head back, stroking my hair. "Fear of what?"

"Of…" I buried my face into his chest. "Of being left alone."

He twitched. "That tickles."

I smiled. "It does?"

He twitched again. "Would you stop?"

I started to laugh and he finally wiggled out from underneath me, pinning me on my back on the floor.

"There." He exhaled. "You mischievous girl."

I blushed a little. I mean, the guy was sitting on me after all.

He noticed the change of color in my complexion and smiled again, this time craftily. "I've deduced something."

"Oh my." I whispered as he leaned closer.

"The only way to get you back, is to sit on you. But I wonder why…?" He whispered in my ear.

I shivered, turning my head away.

This did not deter him. He breathed on my neck and placed a kiss right in the hollow beneath my ear.

My toes curled. "Shuichi…"

"Mm?" He kissed down my jaw then on my neck. "What's this?" He froze.

Crap. Hiei's hickey.

"I don't know. I must've got bit by something." I lied, focusing on his arm. He certainly was muscled for our age…

"Oh." He studied me for a second then said, "Joelle?"

"Hm?" I looked at him.

"…Never mind." He shook his head and got off me.

I sat up and grabbed his hand. "Wait, Shuichi…!" Did he know?

He turned and looked at me. He kissed my forehead. "Do you know how…well, irresistible you are?"

I shrugged, blushing.

He sighed. "You really need to tell me what you think about the entire situation between you and me."

I stood up and we walked into the kitchen. "What I think?"

"Yes."

"I think I need some coffee and," I hesitated then muttered, "I like the situation way too much."

I watched a smile grow on his face. "Coffee it is."

I sat on the bar stool as he scavenged through my pantry. "Why did you save me?"

"I owed you."

"That's not true. You saved my life when I met you." I pointed out yet again.

He paused. "I couldn't let you die…"

"I wish you would've." I muttered.

He slammed the coffee on the counter. "What."

Ah so this was the wrath Koenma was talking about.

I shrank back as he glared at me, absolutely livid.

"Don't you _ever_ say that again! You deserve to live like everyone else!"

"I'm a coward…I'm nothing…"

He exhaled angrily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You buried yourself alive a couple of days ago. You seriously think you're a coward still?"

"I had to do that!" I exclaimed. "You were going to die!"

He glared at me, his mind working furiously. Finally, he spoke to me in a barely contained tone, "I'd rather die then live without you."

I gaped at him like a fish. Was he serious? He had to be. I closed my mouth. "I…I'm sorry…" I said sincerely. "I didn't mean it…"

Shuichi didn't look at me, turning his head towards the window. "I have to go home today. Can you take care of yourself for a few hours?"

I tried not to take that as an insult. I nodded and looked at the counter top as he left. After the door shut, I started to cry. Tears rolled down my face as I watched the blue fake marble blur.

I think I just made my hero walk out the door…

I was sitting on the couch, staring at nothing in particular, when Tristan and my father walked through the door.

My father is actually pretty ordinary looking, for being such a prominent figure in society. He had dark brown hair that had gray sticking out in odd places. He's a little chubby, but still looks good in a suit. There's no smile lines on him, only wrinkles from scowling all his life.

They were talking about Tristan moving out, and my dad supported it. He probably wanted me out of the house as soon as possible too. Tristan saw me just staring at the carpet in the front room and his blue eyes widened. "Why aren't you at school?"

"I wasn't feeling good." I said evasively. "Hello Father."

"Joelle." He nodded at me. "I need to speak to you." He turned to Tristan. "I completely support it. Just make sure you schedule a time to bring her over for dinner sometime."

_Yes. Schedule a time…five months later when his schedule hasn't been actually decided so he can cancel on you the night before._

I didn't need the headache of having to talk to the man I called father, so I begged Tristan with my eyes to stay.

Tristan grimaced and shook his head. He didn't like dad any more then I did. He made his leave and I was left alone with the man who would one day die in his office in the same suit he was wearing. I didn't look at him, going back to my spot on the carpet.

"How're you doing?" He asked, sounding uncomfortable as he sat across from me.

"I'm okay." I rubbed my thumbs together.

"Listen," He sighed hugely, like he was letting out all the air in his body. He looked older all the sudden, at least by ten years. "It's time I told you the truth about…about your situation."

I blinked and looked up at him.

"You're not completely human, Joelle." He admitted to his shoes. Suddenly, I knew why I was so shy. "You're actually more…half demon."

Business man say what?

"Your mother was a demon." Dad continued. "She met me and we fell in love as per usual…But I had another wife. That's where Tristan came from. He's human. I divorced my first wife and married your mother. Tristan was too young to understand the difference between the two, but he never liked Vianca."

This was true. I remember them fighting back in the states all the time…

"But Vianca had another job that she eventually told me about, because it took her away so much and put all of us in danger. Your mother hunted other demons by order of someone named Koenma."

"He's in charge of the spirit world." I said softly, dazed.

"Yes…" Dad looked concerned. "How did you know?"

"I've met him." I bit my lip. "Dad, some really scary stuff has been happening." And he listened as I explained to him everything that had happened in the past few days.

He shook his head as I finished. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, Joelle. But it sounds like you've made some friends in high places." He smiled wryly. "I'm proud of you."

"Why did mom leave?" I asked, gathering my feet underneath me.

"Your mother received word to exterminate a class A demon named Tonga Sasaki. She…she believed it would be the last time she was called to exterminate anything…." He swallowed thickly. "She knew she wouldn't come back. So she gave me custody over you two in a divorce: just a ruse so they wouldn't come looking for you kids and so you would be none the wiser. She didn't want you to end up like her, Joelle. It was a scary job. Most nights, I didn't even think she'd make it home and she'd show up, covered in blood…" He paused, reliving the horror of it all for a moment. "Your mother was an amazing woman."

"She's…dead?" I squeaked. The more logical part of my brain realized that this explained why she refused to answer the letters I sent. My more emotional side was screaming.

"I received word a few days after we arrived in Japan that she was found in the street, dead." Dad replied softly. "Koenma paid me a visit at my office soon after that and told me the details. She'd managed to detain Sasaki for a while, but they had no idea when he'd break loose and try to cause more chaos. He certainly wasn't happy with Vianca for binding him." He pulled his coat jacket to the side and rummaged in the inside pocket. "I've paid for a ticket to America for you and another person to visit your mother's grave this weekend. The hotel reservations have been made; every arrangement set. I wanted…I wanted to give you the chance to see your mother one last time…" He fingered the pieces of paper. "…Because I've been the most horrible father…"

I realized tears were spilling down my face and I ran an arm over my eyes. "Make it three." I choked.

"Three?" He looked up at me, confused.

"Three tickets. I want to take two people with me." I took a deep breath to try to calm myself. "Shuichi and Hiei."

My dad nodded understandingly. "I'll do it." He stood and hesitated. "You…you do realize how proud I am of you? You certainly have your mother's spirit…facing down a demon to save your friends." He put a hand on my shoulder comfortingly and then headed up the stairs, leaving the tickets on the arm of the sofa.

I stared at them, tears streaming down my face as I slowly tried to numb myself. My mother was dead, I was getting chased after by a demon for revenge, and I was pretty sure the two people I wanted to take to America with me never wanted to see me again. I needed to stop feeling for a bit. Just to breathe. There were too many suffocating emotions that threatened to overwhelm me. Too many things I felt like I needed to do. I closed my eyes and, unconsciously, I looked for demons. For some reason, my sixth sense spanned over more area then normal. Most likely because I was concentrating more on it. Hiei was two blocks down the street and Shuichi was coming back. I tried desperately to scrub the tears from my eyes as I took a deep breath. I wouldn't let either of them see me cry. I was going to be brave.

For my mom's sake, if not mine.


	10. Finding God

~ Sorry the latest chapters are so short. I've been limited on time on the computer so…I'll try to write a longer one next time! Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 10: Finding God

I sat on the plane, head against the side as I drifted in and out of sleep. The flight to America was long, to say the least. And this plane freaked me out. So far, I had sensed at least five other demons besides the ones I was partial to on this little bucket in the sky. If they chose to attack, there would be no telling what the outcome would be. I finally got tired of freaking out and being paranoid, so I'd swallowed a sleeping pill on purpose. Now I was lethargic and could care less.

I felt a touch on my hand and looked down and smiled as Shuichi rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand. He was currently engrossed in Wicked, having stolen it from my library again. I was happier then you could know that we had made up. I guess we just needed that short little break from each other for a few hours, though I'd received horrible news and he had informed me he'd been attacked. All in all, it had been an eventful day.

I saw Hiei shift yet again beside him, looking restless. He hadn't taken too well to the idea until I assured him that America was a lot roomier then Japan. I'd also lied a little about the flight time and Shuichi had bet him that he couldn't sit for the entire plan ride without going insane.

Gotta hand it to him. Eleven hours in, and he was still going strong. The plan ride was supposed to be almost thirteen hours.

"I thought you said this ended an hour ago…!" He hissed, clearly unhappy.

Shuichi looked up. "Who told you that?"

"Your pathetic wannabe wife over there!" He jabbed a finger at me.

I was too tired to blush, but Shuichi certainly made up for the both of us.

"She is not…!" He shook his head. "I'm not going to let you get a rise out of me. You're just upset." He crossed his legs, obviously upset too.

Hiei sank into his chair, angry.

"Just another couple of hours boys…" I murmured.

"I am NOT believing you!" Hiei hissed.

It was going to be a long couple of hours…

When we got off the plane, Hiei looked pretty close to getting down on his hands and knees and kissing the ground. He didn't, however, and chose to glare at me instead.

Shuichi sighed. "I believe you've made an enemy."

"I'll make up for it." I yawned. I'd been oblivious of his plight for the last two hours of the flight, having falling asleep finally. "I'm starving…" I said suddenly.

"Well let's go to the hotel so Hiei knows where he's supposed to return to." Shuichi slipped is hand over mine. Suddenly, he chuckled. "You're the devil."

"I agree." Hiei muttered from the other side of me.

"Am not." I smiled. It felt good to be in America again. I was already loving the fact that everyone spoke English.

We walked out of the airport and I hailed us a taxi.

Hiei refused to get in. "I am not sitting in another cramped space with you two and listen to you tell me lies, idiot girl." He said coldly and took off.

"Is everyone in?" The taxi driver asked, sounding impatient.

I looked after Hiei, worried. "I…guess…"

"Don't worry." Shuichi put his arm around me. "He'll show up. That's Hiei."

I pursed my lips as the door shut. "Well…okay…" I rubbed my hands together, leaning into him.

"You two from China?" The taxi driver asked.

"Japan, actually. I'm a California native though." I informed him.

"Oh. Coming home to see the parents?" He looked at me through the rear view mirror.

"Yeah…" I smiled a little. "Something like that."

"You guys must be pretty serious."

We blinked and looked at each other, then blushed a little.

"Um…yeah sorta…" I laughed awkwardly.

He pulled up to the hotel we were staying at (a Marriot, of course. My dad was spoiled.) and the driver turned his head back. "Well you kids enjoy your stay at California!"

"Thanks, mister!" I smiled and Shuichi and I grabbed our bags and got out. I looked up the length of the Marriot. "We have a suite."

"Your father was being…nice."

"What do you mean?"

Shuichi hesitated. "I'd expect him to be a little protective of you…you did go off to America with two strange guys. I was expecting different hotel rooms."

"He already tried that." I started to walk in. "But then I pointed out that it would be easier to kill us off one by one because we couldn't hear each other."

"You're becoming morbid." He said, sounding surprised.

"Getting buried and poisoned does that to you." I smiled at him and grabbed his hand. "Come on. Let's go."

We walked up to the help desk, got keys to the room, and went down the hall.

"When would you like to visit your mother's grave?" Shuichi asked me as I fumbled with the key.

"Tomorrow." I said softly. "I just kind of want to sleep now." My stomach grumbled. "After food."

He shook his head. "You're incorrigible."

"I'm sorry." I finally opened the door and stepped inside.

Hiei was sitting on the couch. "This place is boring. Even the ocean is boring. Nobody wants to kill themselves or each other! I had six people wave to me in a friendly manner!" He seethed. "You've taken me to hell!"

I blinked, shocked. "How'd you get in the hotel room…?"

Shuichi was laughing, hard core. He bent over, laughing so hard.

"Not only that, but we're close to the 'happiest place on earth'! What have you done?" He got right up into my face.

It must have been the sleeping pill, because I smiled widely and said, "We should go to Disneyland. Good idea, Hiei."

"GRAH!" He yelled and disappeared, no doubt running off somewhere.

I looked at Shuichi. "I think I'm driving him insane."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around my waist. "It's fun to watch. Did you want to get food?"

"Where?" I leaned against him, closing my eyes. He was so comfy.

"I don't know. I've never lived here, remember?"

"Hmm…Let's go to somewhere close by." I pulled away from him and grabbed my bag. "Which room do you want?" Best thing about a suite? Two bedrooms. Ingenious.

"I'm impartial." He shrugged. "Pick a room."

I did so.

When the time came, I was afraid to get out of the car.

The grass of the cemetery was too green, like someone had forced me into a cartoon and I had no choice but to go through the motions. The trees swayed with a kind of mournful movement, pointing towards the north. I couldn't see my mother's grave from here, but I could see everyone elses. It filled me with a sense of dread; like it was confirming what my father had said. Vianca O'Connell was dead and six feet under.

Shuichi took my hand as I got out of the taxi, a sympathetic look on his face.

I didn't look at him, staring up the path in the ridiculously bright sunshine. It was horrendous and unrealistic. I still remembered times that we walked past this same cemetery, coming back from the park. Tristan would hold one of my hands and my mother the other… The sun was bright then too.

I looked at both Shuichi and Hiei. "Can I go on…alone?"

"We'll be right here." Shuichi said softly and Hiei nodded.

I smiled a little but soon stopped. It was fake and they knew it. I started down the path, my palms itching again. I didn't want to do this alone, but it felt right. There was stuff I needed to tell her that, even though she wouldn't hear, she'd understand.

The grave was right where my father said it would be, underneath a weeping willow in the far right corner of the place. The headstone proclaimed it to be the final resting place of Vianca Liliana Romano O'Connell. I placed the flowers I brought next to the grave, and stared. How odd to think someone I knew was buried under there, never to return again. "Hi mom." I said softly, feeling a bit self conscious. But who cared? I'm sure there were plenty of people that talked to the dead. "Listen, dad told me everything-" I stopped and smiled a little. "Well of course you knew that. Otherwise I wouldn't be here." I cleared my throat, unsure where to go from here. "I…I miss you." I whispered. It was a simple phrase, but it summed up what I was feeling. "And I wish you were still here. Maybe then you could tell me what to do…" I kneeled on the grass, suddenly feeling hopeless. I couldn't be like this for the rest of my life, running away from a hell-bent demon and his designs. There had to be a way to get my life back to normal; maybe not without demons like before, but at least so I could function. "Oh mom, what should I do?" My voice cracked and I bowed my head.

And then it hit me.

I could fight back.

It probably doesn't sound like a revolutionary idea for you, but for me, it was equivalent to finding God. I had never fought back at any instance in my entire life. I'd always had someone – a hero, if you will – to fight my battles for me. I'd never been stuck in a position where suddenly, a hero wasn't enough.

I traced the V in my mother's name and contemplated how I would do such a thing. I had no weapon to speak of, nor fighting skills. I was nothing, to say the least. But my mother must have something, I realized. As a woman whose life of her children and herself was on the line constantly, she must have been packing some heat twenty four seven, not to mention the other weapons she undoubtedly had. But who had my mother's possessions?

I stood and smiled a little sadly. Though she had not been here to speak to me directly, she'd answered. "Thanks mom." I whispered and hugged myself, pretending it was her. Tears spilled down my face and I sobbed under the weeping willow, in the bright unrealistic sunshine of California.

When I came back down the path, Shuichi and Hiei were waiting for me. We didn't say anything as the three of us walked down the street towards civilization.

Finally I spoke. "I need to call my dad."

"May I ask why?" Shuichi asked.

"Because I need to know where my mother's belongings are." I picked up my cell phone as I explained my thinking to him.

Shuichi pursed his lips.

"I like you better as a coward." Hiei commented.

I blinked. "What?"

"You don't think up stupid ideas when you're afraid of everything."

My father picked up and I had no time to argue. "Hi dad. What happened to mom's stuff?"

"I believe it's still in her house. I didn't sell it." He sounded like he'd been expecting this question. I hoped it wasn't because he knew I was going to try to kill myself.

"Um…could you send me the address?"

"I'll text it to you. I'm on my way to a meeting."

"Thank you dad." I hesitated, wishing I could say more. He'd come through for me so much in the past few days.

"Bye sweetheart." He said and hung up.

I blinked. Terms of endearment? I'm not sure if I was used to that.

Shuichi looked at me. "What's your plans?"

I paused for a minute, watching everyone bustle around us. It was odd to think they had no idea how dangerous it was to be even walking out here. From here I could smell so many demons; each a flagrant scent of danger that sent shivers down my spine. There was no one to protect them, really. Well, at least not like I had. They had no hero. I looked at my hand, the pink scar tissue in place from where she had stabbed me. "We wait." I said softly. "We have no other choice. I need to get to my mother's things and I'm not sure I can do that unless I have that address."

"Did your father not have it?" Hiei asked, glancing at a demon that had passed by us out of curiosity's sake.

"Not with him, that seemed for sure." I clenched my hand in a fist. "So, we wait."


	11. Trigger The Safety

~ So I've been in a gory mood lately… Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 11: Trigger The Safety

When I received the text, it was close to ten at night. I bit my lip, debating.

"You get the address?" Shuichi looked over my shoulder at my phone.

"Yeah." I tapped my fingers of my other hand against the arm of the chair I was sitting in. "Think we can get there and back without any trouble?"

"Why not?" He straightened up.

"Where's Hiei?" I asked, standing and straightening my shirt.

"He'll find us." Shuichi assured me. "Let's go."

We left the hotel and stepped out into the night life. Suddenly, I felt unsure. Did I really want to do this? There was no going back after I decided to continue what my mother had started, in a sense. Maybe I would go to work as a demon hunter. But for now, I'd focus on getting rid of the ones that were plaguing me.

"Do you know anything about Sasaki?" I asked Shuichi, grabbing his hand.

"He's…a very old spirit." Shuichi hesitated, looking thoughtful as I waved for a taxi. "Not one to easily forgive. He never did anything horrid before your mother had to…well, put him down, in a sense. But then he was leading away large bodies of human populations and feeding on them, raising an army of demons to overtake the Spirit World."

I looked at him incredulously as a taxi drove up. "You're joking."

"I'm not." He looked somber.

I shivered. "And he wants to kill me?" I paused, shooting Shuichi a smile as he opened the door for me.

"Where to, kids?" The driver was chubby with a gruff voice that came from smoking one too many cigars in his lifetime.

"Um…" I showed him the address on my phone and we were off.

Shuichi rubbed his thumb over my hand. "I'm not…ecstatic about your decision, I hope you know."

I looked up at him but his eyes were focused forward. "Why?"

"You get hurt easier this way." He pointed out.

"I can't rely on you and Hiei and the other two forever." I said softly.

"I wish you would." He sighed.

I didn't reply. This was necessary. I needed to stand up for myself. It might be the last and only time I did it, but I wouldn't die as the Vianca's daughter, the coward.

Lights flashed outside the window as we left the major part of the city, heading into the suburbs. Again, I wondered why my mother's stuff was tucked away in the house she had lived in instead of deposited into my father's care. Then again, it would give Sasaki another excuse to kill all of us. No doubt, he didn't want me taking up my mother's mantle like I planned to do. And then it hit me that we might meet some resistance. I closed my eyes and felt around, but with how fast we were going and the people everywhere, it was all jumbled. Feeling dizzy, I opened my eyes again and frowned uneasily. This was not going to be cake walk.

We arrived at the house and I paid the driver, waiting until he drove off.

"Do you have a way to get in?" Shuichi asked.

I paused. "Oh. No…" I looked at him sheepishly.

"You didn't even think of that?" He blinked.

"Nope…" I hesitated. "Maybe we could crawl through a window or-"

"Don't." He massaged a temple, closing his eyes. "You are a handful."

"Sorry." I said to the ground.

He chuckled a little. "I sincerely hope you don't plan to fight Sasaki like that." He walked up to the door. "'What? Oh I just assumed he'd come out of hiding if I called his name.'"

"Stop teasing me." I pouted, running up the steps beside him, flustered. "This is my first time being brave."

"You're a lot smarter when you're not." He bent over the doorknob.

I turned away from him, folding my arms. "You know…you could support me in my decisions…"

"I'm with him."

I looked up and Hiei hung his head down off the overhang of the porch.

"I think you come up with useless ideas when you try to be brave." He glared at me with red eyes. "What if your mother had this place booby trapped?"

"She did." Shuichi answered for me. "There's an odd little spell that melts your fingers if you try to mess with a lock but, as I see it, there's no key in existence unless your father has it."

"He doesn't. I would know." I replied. I'd gone through his drawers a few times looking for money to pay off my school debts. He invited me to, since he was never home and he didn't want to be bugged.

"It's strange though…" He pulled back, putting a hand to his chin. "She didn't guard against brute force…"

"Sounds like it's my turn." Hiei flipped and landed next to me. "Stand aside, Kurama."

Shuichi opened his mouth to argue, then shrugged. He did as asked, standing beside me.

Hiei withdrew his sword and slashed at the door. I barely saw him move.

The door splintered and caved inwards with a terrible clatter.

I looked around to see if there were any neighbors peeking out their windows in suspicion. We didn't need the police on our case as well.

No one. Good.

"Ladies first." Hiei said sarcastically, sheathing his sword.

I stepped up to the door and paused, almost wanting to ask my mother if I could come in. Silly me. She's gone now. I swallowed and stepped inside.

For a bit, nothing happened, and I felt relieved. Then suddenly there was a flare of light and I looked back at Shuichi and Hiei. They disappeared as something dragged them into the ground. I put my hands over my mouth and looked ahead of me as something started to laugh.

It was rasping and choking, like someone dying instead of a sound of joviality. I couldn't see in the dark but suddenly I could smell it. It smelled of death, for sure, but like dirt and moss and the dank smell of something that has staid wet for way too long.

"Vianca told me to wait." It hissed at me. "Told me to be patient. She said you'd come for her legacy. Said to stop all others."

"Let my friends go!" I shouted, my knees shaking. Whatever it is it was ancient and deadly.

"Now is that anyway to introduce yourself?" It shifted in the dark. "They call me Mehal." Phlegm choked it's voice as it said it's own name. "I am guarding what was once your mothers and is soon to become yours…if you do as I say."

"What about my friends?" I asked apprehensively. This thing wasn't going to hurt me unless I didn't play along, it seemed. "Will you let them go?"

"Mm…" It sighed. "Not now, but maybe later should you choose to win."

Choose to win? Why wouldn't I choose to win? I kept silent.

"Now, introduce yourself so we can get started." It shifted again and I saw a lazy tentacle drift out and lay itself on the ground. It was transparent, so I could see veins and other things floating around. What almost made me scream was the eyeball that floated around in the mucus that filled the inside of it.

I put my hands over my mouth in horror and looked at the darkness, wide eyed. "I'm…I'm Joelle."

"Hm? Speak up!" It snapped.

"Joelle O'Connell!" I said with more force then was necessary, but hearing my own name in the dark dank of the room made me feel like I had more control.

"Joelle O'Connell, eh?" It mused over this for a bit and I heard the sound of flesh sliding over flesh. "Very good. Now here's how you play. There will be three tasks I will ask you to do. You have a time limit on each, set by me. If you fail to do as I have asked or do not complete it within the time limit, I will kill your friends and give you to Sasaki as a present for him to rape and savage as he chooses."

I stepped back a little.

"But if you do as I ask and complete each task, you will receive no more trouble and you and your friends can go free with your mother's things. Questions?"

I tried to still my trembling hands. "Yes." I swallowed. "Who bound you here?"

"Your mother…!" It hissed and the tentacle thrashed angrily. "Your self-serving mother! I can only be free if she or one of her kin unbinds me! And then I will once again feed on the flesh of man!" The tentacle slowly stilled and there was another deep throated sigh. "Any more…questions?"

"None." I whispered.

"Good. Then let us begin."

The shadows from before crept around me and I gasped as my shoes sunk through the floor. I dropped suddenly into nothing and I screamed, reaching up and finding nothing.

When my senses finally returned to me, I was back in the hotel room. I grabbed onto the table, leaning over as a wave of nausea hit me. Was this real?

"Your first task…" Mehal's sibilant voice echoed around me but I found no evidence of his presence. "…is retrieving your mother's hand."

I gasped. "What?"

"Your mother believed nothing was sacred!" Mehal roared and my ears felt like they were going to bleed. "Do as I ask or I slaughter your friends and you like the worthless beings you are! You have twenty four hours!"

The image of Shuichi bleeding before my feet and me having to tell him it was because I couldn't stand up for myself got me moving. I checked for my wallet and ran out the door.

The first thing I needed to do was gather necessary tools. For instance, a knife and a shovel. I shuddered as I thought through my plan and what it would entail. I'd be cutting off a dead person's hand; my mother's, in fact. I paused a moment, almost retching. I took a deep breath and continued onward. Outside the hotel, I waved a taxi down.

He turned and looked at me and I could smell the demon on him. "Why hello…you're Vianca's kid-" He made a swipe at me and I ducked. "-aren't ya?"

I screamed and jumped out of the taxi, rolling out on the pavement. I looked around me, searching for some kind of help to see everyone just walking past me like nothing had happened. What was going on? That demon hadn't exactly been subtle about wanting to kill me and they all walked past like there was nothing going on?

The demon screeched as it tore through the metal frame of the car and I found my feet. I started down the street, looking for a place to either hide or something to aid me in my flight.

People whirled past me in a blur of colors as I headed downtown. It was well past ten o clock and the night life looked like it was just coming out of the woodwork. Already I could see the drug deals going down and other nefarious deeds- That's it!

I paused as I saw a gangster heading down the street, his hands deep in his pockets. He probably had some kind of weapon on him. I waved my hands in front of him. "Hey! Hello?"

Not even a flinch. I would've been knifed if he would've seen me.

I glanced behind me as I heard a roar. My pursuer was not far behind. I reached in the gangster's pockets and closed my hand around something hard and metal. I froze. A gun? I didn't know how to shoot one of these! I took it out anyway and started to run as a car started flying towards me. I screamed as it crashed in the crowd, bursting in the flame. The aftershock of the explosion knocked me off my feet and I scraped up my elbows. I got to feet and ran more, checking the gun in my hands out. I turned as I heard another screech and pointed the gun straight at the demon's ugly twisted face.

Click.

Nothing! The trigger wouldn't even go down.

The demon let out a horrid giggle. "You're a Romano spawn and you don't even know your safety's on?" It swiped at me and I screamed as it's claws tore through my jacket and shirt.

I jumped back and felt around. Just red marks where it had scratched me. Nothing life threatening. I gasped as it attacked again and turned tail to run once again. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to look for a place to escape for a little bit; to think. I ducked around a corner and squeezed myself against the wall.

The demon howled past, falling for probably the most obvious trick in the book.

I took a moment to fiddle with the gun, finally tripping the safety off.

Just in time too. I jerked my head up as I heard a frustrated howl. It was coming back my way. I shot out of the alley and headed the other direction. How was I supposed to get my mother's hand if I had this thing on my tail?

Of course…I could always kill it…

I paused in my running, taking a huge breath, and turned around to face my tormentor.

It was running at me with gangly long legs, its mouth two times larger then it should be and full of long sharp, slobbery teeth. Its black eyes met mine.

I took a deep breath, aimed, and shot.

It looked like its forehead was imploding. Suddenly it caved in and blood, thick, black, and horrible, poured out like some kind of sick oil spill. I watched it crumple with a throaty scream, falling in the debris of the car it had thrown earlier.

I took another deep breath, and turned to throw up. I had just killed something. I had just took something's life with my own, shaky little cowardly hands. I finished and wiped my mouth on my sleeve, tears rolling down my face as I stumbled down the street.

I still had a task to do.

To Home Depot, Little Miss Nothing Killer.


	12. Idiot Girl

~ The much awaited chapter 12! Sorry it's taking so long…the whole 'one hour' restriction is really cutting my writing time down… Do not own Yu Yu Hakusho! Nor do I own Hero by Skillet which this here fanfic is named after!~

Chapter 12: Idiot Girl

I had wasted about an hour and half with the demon. Though I had about twenty two and a half hours left, I felt like I shouldn't push it. I ran down the street, trying to discern where I could retrieve a long knife and a shovel. A hardware store seemed to be my best choice but with no car and no idea where the closest one was, I was whistling in the dark. I stopped my frantic run through the crowds to take a breather. It would do me no good to aspirate and choke when no one could see me. I went through my options, rubbing my hands on my pants. There was, obviously, the hardware store but I'd been through the motions with that option already and it seemed to be doing me no good. I could, however, retrieve necessary digging tools if maybe the cemetery had a shed. There had been one when I had been there this morning. That still, however would leave me short on a way of…well, taking off the item in question; detaching it from the body. My best bet was a knife but if all else failed, I still had the gun.

Steeling my thoughts towards the cemetery, I took a breath and started to run towards the cemetery.

It took forever and quite often I had to stop for a break. I wasn't the fittest thing there was and all this running was exhausting. But I had to go faster. Shuichi and Hiei and everyone else were counting on me.

Including me.

Especially me.

I reached the cemetery gates and espied the shed standing hidden in the center. I jogged towards it, like there were weights in my legs.

It was locked.

I cussed breathlessly and shook the doors, frustrated. What was I supposed to do now? I squatted to the ground, a familiar hurt building up in my chest as I tried to breathe. What had I expected? That it would just open automatically when I arrived and everything would fall into my lap? Everyone's – the humans' unnatural despondency should have cured me of that notion. I felt something dig into my side and, irritated, I pulled out my acquired weapon.

And then it hit me. Why not shoot the bolt off?

I smiled for the first time that night, stood, and aimed with one hand.

Now, if any of you know basic science, you'll understand that a fast speeding bullet traveling towards a metal lock at point blank is going to ricochet. For some odd reason, this thought never occurred to me. So you can imagine my blatant surprise when the bullet whizzed past me and skinned my neck. I put my hand up to my neck and pulled it back to find the tiniest splash of color to my pale skin. I whimpered a little, but wasn't that concerned. After all, it was only a scratch. I yanked open the now unlocked doors.

There. In the corner. A shovel. I almost sobbed with relief and grabbed it, heading for the back corner of the cemetery.

Next came my most un-favorite part.

I dug for what seemed like forever, sheepishly looking around. I knew body snatching was a grave offense in any country. Yet, once again, no one seemed concern that I was digging up a grave. This had to be the oddest state of things I had ever come across.

I heard a thunk and lifted my shovel up to see the first of the rotting casket in the dim light from a street lamp. I swallowed and dug up more dirt around the casket. Finally unearthed to a point where I could get in, I swallowed thickly again as I repositioned the shovel. I had to pry the casket open. For a moment, I wondered what kind of funeral my mother had had. Had Koenma been there? Did Dad travel back here to see his wife be buried among the countless humans she had fought for?

A more pressing question pushed against my brain. Would anyone attend my funeral if I didn't finish this?

I pried at the casket til the top cracked, then pried it more. I took a deep breath and opened it up all the way, exposing to the night air…

…my mother's hand.

No, seriously. That was the only dead thing in that casket. Her dismembered hand. Beside it was a note addressed to me and a large angry looking knife. I hesitantly picked up the note first.

_Joelle,_

_You'll need this. You'll get something better next time around. Please don't run with it._

_Love,_

_Momma XOXO_

I wasn't sure whether to be concerned, sad, or exasperated. My mother was just that odd of a duck.

I grabbed the hand and the knife and pulled myself out of the hole, trying not to concentrate on the fact that I was holding something dead. It was firm with a squishy exterior, like the skin was going to tear and slide off at any moment. I took a moment, trying not to hurl at the thought, and started towards my mother's house.

The door was open when I decided to step upon the threshold. I could still feel Mehal moving around in there like a gigantic bear of monstrous proportions, just coming out of hibernation and hungry. I stepped carefully and called out, "Mehal? I have the hand."

"I can smell that, stupid girl!" It hissed at me. From the darkness a tentacle shot out and swiped the hand. For a second, bloated flesh slid against mine and I allowed myself to shudder and retreat a little from this ancient thing.

There was silence for a while, where I could hear gross noises being made. I couldn't quite describe them, but they scared me and made my knees tremble. I swallowed in stale air and said, "Are…are my friends safe?"

"Yes." Mehal sighed. "But not for long. Your next task…"

The air around me darkened and I flinched as the shadows lapped at my feet, yet I remained unharmed and standing. Finally it lightened again and I found myself standing in what one could only describe as an arena. It was dirt beneath my feet instead of dusty wood, the shadows covering seats now instead of the rest of a house.

"…your next task is to kill your friends. Your time limit is two hours." Mehal's voice floated to me as from the shadows, Shuichi and Hiei appeared, looking bewildered.

I gasped, but suddenly all the air had left the room. The last task was supposed to teach me that nothing was sacred. What was this one supposed to say? You can't trust anyone? I tried to look at it analytically. Maybe these weren't really my friends. But when Shuichi made a step towards me, hand outstretched with concern, I started to cry and my resolve floundered. "Shuichi…!" I choked out.

Hiei stopped him, but neither spoke which seemed odd to me. Hiei took a few steps forward and tightened his grip on his sword. His eyes never left mine as he advanced forward.

I didn't move. I couldn't. I could care less if I died right now. Like Shuichi had said to me once, I'd rather die then live without them; my friends. I ignored the long knife digging into my thigh as Hiei withdrew his sword.

For all the speed he had, there was a split second as he started a swing to take off my head that everything slowed down and I started to think things through. Did I really want to die? Was this where my mother's legacy was ending? The coward child who tried so hard to hide behind others finally gets a chance to stand on her own and she blows it. Suddenly something deep inside of me cried out and I dodged, rolling forward as the sword harmlessly swiped at the air in front of me. This put me in between Shuichi and Hiei and I looked up helplessly to see Shuichi already had his rose whip out. There was no emotion in his eyes now. He had resolved, just like me, to fight until the end.

They both attacked at once and I scrambled away, grasping for the knife. This was difficult. If I could just get them one on one. I could use strategy against Hiei but against Shuichi, I'd lose. I'd been around him too much to be fooled by the notion that I was smarter in that arena.

Hiei jumped in the air as Shuichi attacked from below. I slid to the side and there was a gigantic crash, the only thing in this silent hell hole and it startled me. "Oh COME ON!" I yelled at them, now angry. They were attacking as a team? I suppose it made sense, but they could go easy on me. A sobering thought. They didn't want to die either.

I went on the offensive and dodged around the reach of the rose whip, suddenly realizing when Shuichi attacked, he was left open. But how would I get there fast enough? I pushed my legs faster, though they started to shake. I was tired from trying to grab my mother's hand. I tripped and fell forward next to him, slashing out blindly. Blindly had to be the only way I could do it. If I actually saw the knife go in…

Not so much of a scream. I rolled away in the dirt so as not to suffer repercussions. I rolled on my back to see Hiei coming down for me. My eyes widened and I put my knife up in response, the only thing I had to defend myself on such short notice.

There was a clank as metal screeched against metal and I gave enough on my defense for Hiei to almost take a gouge out of my cheek. I felt blood run down the side of my face as I fought to push him off me.

He grimaced and looked surprised.

I was too, honestly. I was holding off Hiei? This was pretty twisted. I kicked his stomach and he flew off me, crashing into the seats.

There was the sound of something flying towards me and a rose whip closed around my arm with the knife.

I gasped as it started to squeeze, the thorns digging into my arm. I almost dropped the knife. Defiantly, I grabbed the whip to give me moving space of my trapped arm, and used the knife to slice it. I dropped the knife then. I stood as it retreated, like a wounded dog, and grabbed the knife, running towards Shuichi. I could see the blood staining his side from where I cut it. It seemed deep and I tried to ignore my pain. I needed to survive, not wallow in pity.

Shuichi attacked again and I dodged barely, too close to him for him to dodge properly, and sank the knife into his chest.

He back handed me out of the way and I flew into the wall, my bones jumbling painfully against each other as I hit the seats. I untangled myself, gasping in surprise as I discovered a bleeding shin and a bruised wrist. I held my wrist and looked up to see Shuichi pitch forward. I swallowed. Now was not the time to cry. I had to find Hiei. Since I had kicked him, he had mysteriously disappeared. I went to the middle and walked down the steps, approaching Shuichi's dead body with all caution. I needed my knife back. I wasn't about to go against a swordsman only armed with a bruised wrist and a will to live.

Approaching Shuichi, a dread welled up inside of me and I suddenly wanted to wail like a lost kid. I had just killed the person – maybe the only person – who had cared enough to try to help me along. I suppressed my feelings and rolled him over, his long hair thankfully covering his face. I didn't need to see his face, most likely twisted in agony as I had stabbed him. I took a hold of the hilt and, with a sickening slurp, it pulled free. I stumbled back a few steps and then a couple more as Hiei sliced at me in the dark.

Now here's the odd part. You think he'd care that his best friend had just been stabbed, but he stepped over Shuichi's body like he owed no more loyalty to him then a piece of paper.

It was then I decided this couldn't possibly be them. I couldn't possibly beat the real Hiei and Kurama. They were too good for me at this point; so much more stronger then this week little girl who'd lived as a recluse for so long.

I pulled my knife in front of me, defensively. Hiei/fake could come at me when he liked. I was ready.

He started after me, swinging his sword at any possible moment.

I blocked each one and instinctively stretched my arm out to stab him. I stabbed empty air and he sliced at my back. I cried out and stumbled forward. I could feel the blood seeping, but thankfully the cut was shallow. I was already in motion from my stab attempt. I turned but he was gone again. I looked around hesitantly, scared. I couldn't see him anywhere.

So, as with any situation, I started to talk. I wanted to hear a voice, anyone's voice, in this tense silence. "You remember that day…? When Shuichi left…?" I smiled a bit, the effect probably horrific. "Of course you probably don't. Even if you were the real Hiei, you'd tell me that you don't remember, 'you idiot girl'." I bit my lip, turning to look behind me again. "I wanted to ask why you did it." I paused again.

No answer. Of course not.

"I know…I know I won't get an answer…but I want to tell you why I did it." My voice sounded strangled in my ears and I closed my eyes to stop the tears from falling. "I did it because I thought you lo-" Without warning, I instinctively turned and shoved my knife into fake Hiei's flesh.

Hiei/fake gaped at the knife, then me as blood covered me, soaking me in its life plasma.

I had sensed him behind me when I closed my eyes. My brain hadn't even had a time to string together a sentence before I had stabbed him. I yanked the knife back and stood back, covered in blood and hurting, emotionally and physically. I sank to my knees, despite the cut in my shin and stared at the ceiling. "I did it, Mehal!" I screamed. "I killed them for you, bastard!"

The shadows seemed sluggish this time, as if he were surprised. I let them envelope me, closing my eyes against the falling sensation; closing my eyes against the gore I had created. I felt my body knock against the floor and groaned as I pushed myself up a bit, looking around.

Back at the house, but two others had joined my side, trying to gather themselves together.

"Shuichi!" I almost screamed and flung myself towards him.

"Whoa!" He wrapped his arms around me and looked bewildered as I sobbed into his shoulder. No longer was he covered in blood, stabbed through the heart by me. No longer was he lying in the dust of a place meant for a hellish ordeal. "Joelle, are you okay?" And he could _speak!_

"I think the idiot girl's happy to see you." Hiei's voice made my head pop up. He stood beside us, looking irritated.

I stood up and hugged him before he could do anything. "God, I thought I killed you…!" I broke away suddenly, hesitating. "Sorry." Even I knew Hiei didn't like being touched.

He had a strange expression on his face.

"I'm not sure he minded." Shuichi said. I suppose the sentence was supposed to be humorous, but it sounded more thoughtful.

"A touching reunion." Mehal's voice interrupted our get together, rasping against my senses as always. "But the young lady still has another task to complete."

"Task?" Shuichi asked tersely and glanced at me.

I nodded. "He won't let us go unless I do as he says."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea-" Shuichi started, frowning.

I shook my head. "I've already finished two tasks. I can finish a third."

"Ow."

I looked behind me to see Hiei removing a gun from his pocket. "What the hell is this?" He seethed.

I smiled. "I think that's mine. Sorry." I took it, though I had nothing to apologize for. I had not placed it in his pocket. "What's the third task, Mehal?"

"You are braver now that your friends stand behind you." Mehal said bitterly. "This will not save you. Your third task…is to release and kill me."

"How?" I asked, unflinching. Maybe he was right. I was braver with my friends behind me.

"There is a collar of mine that you have to take off. It can only be taken off by the one who binds me or the progeny of the one who binds me." Mehal took in a rasping breath, and suddenly I realized why he sounded as he did. The collar was choking him.

I looked back at Shuichi and Hiei.

"I don't like this." Shuichi frowned. "He is an ancient spirit, no doubt cunning from all his years spent wallowing in the dust here."

"He'll kill humans as fast as he can to get stronger, you know." Hiei put in. "That will be his first move."

I nodded and bumped the gun against my thigh. It was larger then the one I had retrieved from the gangster, with the word 'HELLION' inscribed on the side. It made me feel a lot better then I had in a while. "I can handle this." I said, sounding confident for the first time in my entire life. I first made sure the safety was off, and then approached the shadows.

Mehal, as I suspected, looked like a fat bloated sausage that had been baking in the microwave for two long and had no chance for the air to escape. Bits of remains of humans floated into view underneath all the fluid in his transparent body, forever trapped in a body that resembled more of an octopus then anything else. The collar was peering out at me beneath the folds of his neck and I looked up to see a black jagged mouth with holes on either side of his head for what I guessed were eyes. They followed me as I approached him.

"You understand…" He rasped and his putrid breath made me take a step back. "That by releasing me, you are committing a grievous sin if I harm any other living thing."

"You won't." I said determinedly and started to climb up him. Imagine trying to walk on jell-o. Not a pleasant experience. But when he tried to help me with a tentacle, I swatted it away. I knew better then to accept help. He'd just use that same tentacle to wrap around me after I freed him. I finally reached his shoulder, a solid sitting place where I could work, and reached under the folds in his neck.

There. A clasp. I got my fingers of my left hand around it, my gun hiding up the sleeve of my right arm.

There was a tiny click and it fell free.

Mehal chuckled evilly, and the sound was much throatier now he was free. "Stupid girl! You will pay for what your mot-!"

Click.

I didn't smile at my victory. I didn't gloat in any way. "Rest in peace, Mehal." I said softly and pulled the trigger. There was an explosion more akin to a cannon then a gun.

The giant sausage of a demon exploded, it's juices spewing out of where it's head had once been. The aftershock of the explosion I had created knocked me into a wall and I sat on the floor, rattled, as the body heaved over and writhed death throes on the floor.

"Joelle!" Shuichi ran over and picked me up, bridal style, carrying me out of the house.

We stood outside, watching as the house was swallowed in shadows, consumed by darkness until there was nothing left. The street lights flickered and an unearthly wind carried a strange howl as it echoed down the streets of suburbia.

I rested my forehead against Shuichi's neck as we stood in silence, more exhausted then I had ever felt. I clenched the gun tighter, resting it behind his back. "I'm sorry." My voice was raspy as it broke the silence and I ended the last syllable in a whisper.

"For what?" He asked softly.

"For putting you both through that."

"Idiot girl." Hiei scoffed. "You didn't do anything."

Shuichi smiled. "Come. Let's go back to the hotel."

I pulled my head away. "I can walk." And escaped his embrace.

He slipped his hand in mine and Hiei disappeared, like always, leaving us alone.

We walked in silence for a moment, his hand in my right hand and the gun in my left.

"What happened in there?" He asked.

Where to begin? I smiled a little. "Well, first he made me get my mother's hand. So I dug her up and found _just_ her hand. Then he made me kill you two." I paused at this, the pain a little too fresh.

"_Kill_ us?" Shuichi looked at me, alarmed. We stopped on the street and he faced me.

"But it wasn't really you, I guess." I put a hand on his chest, my heart suddenly acting up. I brushed an imaginary spec of dust off his shirt. "Otherwise…you'd have a hole in your chest." I suddenly leaned in and put my forehead against his chest. "I'm so sorry I stabbed you!" My voice was muffled by his clothing.

He chuckled and it rumbled through his chest. He wrapped arms around me and stroked my hair. "You're a silly girl." He said affectionately. "Apology accepted."

I looked up at him and the street light flickered off as the sun started to rise.

He leaned down gently and kissed me.

As with before, I felt emotions surge through me like a tidal wave of rainbows and sugar. It would've been disgusting, but it was with him.

He kept his hand around my waist as we began the long trek back to the hotel in the rising sun of California.


	13. Hero

~You all are going to yell at me…This is the last chapter. As in, the end of Hero. I'm so happy for all the supporters of this story. :-D You really helped me through all of this. I'm so sorry this took forever to come out. I really hope you appreciate this last chapter.~

~Do Not Own Yu Yu Hakusho or Hero by Skillet!~

Chapter 13: Hero

I collapsed on my bed, too stiff to move really. I mean, hell, I'd staid up all night risking my neck.

"That's strange…" Shuichi's voice floated to me as he turned the corner into my room. "Hiei's not – " I heard him curse softly.

"What?" Came my muffled reply.

"You're hurt!" I felt the bed sink as he sat next to me. "You should've told me!"

I felt his hands rest themselves on my back just below the cut I had received from my fight with fake Hiei. His hands were gentle as they probed, but I flinched. "I'm fine."

"I'm going to have to treat that." The pressure on my back alleviated. "Take off your shirt."

I groaned. "No!"

"Joelle…!" He sounded extremely authoritative.

"Okay…" I said sheepishly, sitting up. I slipped off the jacket I wore first as he walked out to get a first aid kit. I looked at the blue, square neckline shirt I wore, shivering in the cold of the air conditioned place. I stretched my arms out, flinching as my pant leg brushed against the abrasions and cut skin on my shin. I pulled my pant leg up to inspect the wound as Shuichi walked back in.

"How did that happen?" He gestured at my leg as he set the first aid kit on the beside table.

"You hit me." I winced as I pushed myself more off the bed, sitting on the edge. "Sent me to go say hi to some chairs that were nailed around the arena we were in."

He knelt before my leg, looking pained.

"It wasn't really you." I reminded him softly as he tended to my leg.

"I know." He placed a band aid over my cut, his head bent over so close that his breath tickled my leg. "I just…I feel guilty all the same." He rose. "You didn't take off your shirt."

I blushed. "Can you blame me?"

He flashed me a wicked smile and playfully said, "If I take off mine, will you do it?"

The image of shirtless Shuichi made my eyes widen.

He laughed and sat behind me.

"D-don't…!" I grabbed his hands as they started lifting up the back of my shirt.

"I'm just pushing it up so I can treat it." He muttered. "Hold it for me."

I did so as he cleaned me up, my eyes closing as I felt his hands move over my skin. My stomach clenched and suddenly, I wasn't tired anymore. My eyes opened as I felt his breath on my neck, my face flushing. "Sh-Shuichi…"

"What's wrong? Am I hurting you?" He asked close to my ear and I shivered.

"No I…" I flushed even more. I almost asked him to touch me. Not in the way he'd been doing. "I…"

His breathing changed and he nibbled on my ear. "Joelle…"

I turned in his arms, kneeling in front of him as I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him.

His hands were still on my waist, but my shirt had fallen over them. He started to slide them up; cautiously. Hesitantly. There was an infuriating slowness about the action that made me want it more and I pressed my lips firmer against his in response.

His fingers touched the underwire of my bra as my hands slid around his neck and found the zipper of his jacket. He kissed my neck as he barely pushed his fingers underneath the cups.

"God…" I inhaled, clenching a fistful of his hair as he sucked at my neck. I felt him push the bra up more, the action so terribly slow that I almost grabbed his hands and shoved them up myself.

I finally felt his questing fingers brush over my nipple and I whimpered in response. "Sorry they're so big…" I murmured into his neck, smiling as he shivered.

"There is nothing…" He plucked at one and I gasped. He kissed me. "To apologize for."

I'm not sure exactly how to describe what happened after that. He pushed the bra out of the way and proceeded to torture and tease my poor breasts until I was breathing harshly.

He slid his hands back down to my hips and gave me a kiss, his tongue stroking the inside of my mouth. He pulled me against him and fell back on the bed, taking me with him. We broke away and he raised an eyebrow. "Clothing gets in the way."

"R-Really…I don't think…" I paused, looking away. "I don't think this is a good idea…"

"Joelle, no one's here. It's alright." He assured me, brushing a finger over my uninjured cheek. "You're so beautiful…"

I squeezed my eyes shut. "No, Shuichi." I pushed him up off me and turned away. "No, I'm not."

He sat up. "What do you mean?"

"Look, I…" I still couldn't get over stabbing him. Would I have to do the same thing someday? There'd be no fakes if – no, when it came to that. He'd be dead for good at my feet. "I don't think we should…bet together…like that…" I told the sheets, bunching myself up, knees to my chest.

There was a pause as he processed this and I dare not look into his face. Finally he exhaled and stood up.

I glanced up, momentary panic gripping me. "Shuichi…!"

He offered me a small smile that I knew was fake. "I'm going to look for Hiei. The first aid kit is on the night stand." He walked out after that, shutting the door behind him.

I didn't care about the first aid kit. I was too numb to care about anything really. I staid curled up and I cried.

_I was collared, just like Mehal had been; stuck in a rotting house with its creaking floorboards and nothing but the mice and spiders to keep me company. And I sat in my corner, watching life parade by outside. I watched my friends grow older and move on with their lives, my name just dust on their lips that they used rain water to quench. It was raining. I could hear it. Could they? Or were they too busy passing by the house I was forever destined to reside in…?_

I woke up with a start, and choked as I tried to gasp for air. Something really was wrapped around my neck. I clawed at it desperately and tore away….

…the sheets.

I let out air slowly, staring at the white cloth in impatience. I listened to the rain as I put my hand down on the pillow, suddenly acutely aware that I was alone and what had transpired the night before. How could I reject him like that? He'd laid himself bare for me (don't you DARE say literally!) and I'd just… well, I didn't know how to say it, but it hadn't made him happy. That was for sure.

I sat up slowly and rubbed at my face as my hair draped over my shoulder. I closed my eyes and stretched my sense, trying to find where Shuichi and Hiei had gone.

Something was coming.

I ignored the fact that I wore a simple t shirt and reached for my gun, I threw the bed covers off, rubbing my legs against each other for warmth as the cold hit me. I cocked the gun, keeping it next to my thigh as I pulled open the door slowly.

There. In the living room. Someone was sitting on the couch.

I pushed the door open and aimed with one arm. "Who're you?" I asked coldly and turned on a light.

Koenma held up his hands in defense, looking at me with wide eyes. "Whoa! Jeese! It's just me!"

I lowered the gun, blushing. "I'm so sorry! I thought-! Well I don't know what you smell like really and I-!" I gave up talking as I realized I was pretty skimpy looking. This was complete and total embarrassment. "Um…I'm gonna go put some clothes on…" I muttered at the carpet and turned, walking into the room.

As I closed the door I heard a snicker. I shut it and leaned my head back against it, sighing. I was such an idiot.

I came back out, fully clothed mind you, and leaned against the wall across from Koenma. "Sorry…what's up?"

"Well, we're having a slight…" He coughed into his hand. "Problem that I thought you'd want to know about."

"Oh?"

"Keomi has escaped to America."

"Oh." I pursed my lips. "Where's Kurama and Hiei?"

"I don't know. I thought they were with you." Koenma replied sheepishly. "Listen, I got to get back." He stood. "Will you be okay by yourself?"

Shuichi had asked me that once. He was angry with me then. I bit my lip and nodded and Koenma left.

I glanced at a clock and grabbed my shoes. I was going to go look for them. I made it out of the hotel room in record time and stood underneath the overhang in front of the hotel, watching the rain come down as I tried to figure out where to search first. I closed my eyes and searched mentally.

Nothing.

I sighed and took off to my left. If anything, I could just grab a taxi and come back to the hotel. I chewed on my lip, pulling my hood up to try to protect my head a little bit, hugging myself as I wandered off into the rain.

I found them a couple blocks down in a deserted area. Shuichi, I guess, had been looking for Hiei.

"What's gotten into you, Hiei?" Shuichi asked, sounding a little impatient.

I ducked behind a building, listening in on their conversation. I knew I shouldn't, but I was concerned and I knew Hiei wouldn't say anything if I was around. You could torture the guy and he still wouldn't talk about his feelings.

"Did it ever occur to you what a moron you are?" Hiei snapped. "You look so stupid, mooning over that…half-thing."

Ouch. Half-thing? My heart sunk. Sure, I technically was an anomaly to the system, but I was still a person.

"She has a name." Shuichi's voice went soft and flat.

Hiei let out a bitter laugh. "You don't get it, do you Kurama? Do you know what happened after she saved you from Keomi? Hm?"

I covered my mouth, horrified.

"No?" Hiei said after a while. "Let me tell you, then-"

"Stop." Shuichi cut in, sounding pained. "Stop, Hiei. I already know…"

My fingernails dug into my skin as my insides froze. How could he have known?

"How did you figure it out?" Hiei asked.

"You left a mark." Shuichi's voice was monotone.

How I wanted to crawl in a hole and die alone. I slumped against the wall, feeling tears come unbidden to my eyes.

"Ha." Hiei again. "I'm surprised you still want her."

"She doesn't want me." Shuichi replied and his tone was sharp.

I couldn't take anymore. I couldn't listen to this. It was torture listening to the repercussions of my stupidity. I pushed away from the wall and ran in the opposite direction of them as fast as I could go, head down. I didn't care where I was going, as long as it was away from here. Away from my stupid mistake.

If you've ever sat in the rain for more then an hour, you know how cold it gets and how tired of being wet you get. I walked down the side of the freeway, my thumb jutted out as the rain started to clear up. To my left was the coast and I stared at it occasionally as I walked. I shivered as I saw the clouds clear up to reveal the sun sitting on the horizon, casting an orange light over the sky that was visible. Maybe I could drown myself; keep myself under and swallow water as fast as I could, sinking down to the bottomless depths of the ocean as I watched the sun and the surface disappear…

I shook my head and closed my eyes, sensing for demons again. No. I needed to stay alive. What for, I had no clue. But I hadn't come all this way to end it with a swim. My eyes flickered open as I sensed one on the very edge of where my senses could reach. From the feel of it, it had to be…

…Shuichi?

I glanced behind me to see something moving towards me. It was human shaped and small at such a distance. I licked my chapped lips nervously and started to walk faster. If it was Shuichi, I didn't want to talk to him right now. Besides, I only had about two more miles until I hit Oceanside. I could find somewhere to stay there, just call Dad and have him set things up so I could just go home… I swallowed thickly, so thirsty. And starving. I hadn't eaten anything at all today, getting up at seven thirty and immediately going to look for Shuichi and Hiei. It was now six thirty at night and I was pretty sure my body couldn't take much more. Just to prove a point, I stumbled on a rock and sank down on one knee. A sharp pain originated from my leg and I sat on my butt, pulling my knee up to see that I had embedded a rock into it. I grimaced and pulled it out, blood soaking down my leg. I paused, looking at the shoreline again. I was too tired. I couldn't do it. What did I think I was doing anyway? Running away from them. I wasn't a hero, just some nobody from Japan. I hugged my knee as I felt dizzy, resting my head on my knee.

"You're fast."

I jerked my head up and put my gun in between me and the person talking, which wasn't much of a distance. I hadn't really been paying attention.

Shuichi paused, half crouched down beside me, the gun lodged against his forehead.

"Sorry." I muttered, the sound raspy, as I put the gun down. "Paranoid." I turned my head away.

"What're you doing out here?"

"Getting away." I said into my leg, trying to swallow. I'd cried all day and was pretty sure I was dehydrated.

"From what?"

"I'm done, Shuichi." I said suddenly, pulling my head up to look at the skyline. "I'm done pretending I'm just as brave as you or Yuuske…I've made stupid mistakes and all I can do is run away. I'm not a hero." My voice broke and I swallowed thickly again. "I'm done. I can't do it anymore."

"What makes you think we're heroes all the time?" He asked softly, playing with the dirt by his feet.

I looked up at him, blue eyes tired and confused. "What? You guys are amazing. You're smart and face danger every day and it doesn't affect you."

"Do you know why we do it? If you knew, you wouldn't think we were such heroes." He looked pained. "Before I met Yuuske, I was a thief and a liar. I used my intelligence to manipulate and get things I wanted. That's how Hiei and I ended up being friends."

"But you changed." I pointed out.

"Sure I did." He agreed. "But…don't you think that sometimes I'd like to go back? That sometimes, stealing things was a lot easier then fighting for what's right?"

I pursed my lips and turned my head away from him.

"Yuuske was just a delinquent in jr. high. He never went to school, never cared about anyone else, and just beat the other kids up. He didn't have some glamorous childhood where everything was perfect and he was bred to be a hero from day one." Shuichi continued. "Joelle, look at me."

I did as he asked, wishing I was hydrated enough to cry.

"Heroes aren't born. They're made." He pushed some hair out of the front of my face. "And I'd have to say you're doing a damn good job all on your own."

I smiled painfully and hugged him tightly. "It's a good thing I have you." I breathed in his scent. "Shuichi…You're my hero."

"I'll stay by your side forever, Joelle." He murmured into my cheek and stroked my hair.

Sitting on the side of the road, enveloped in the arms of the one man I ever loved, I believed him.

I wasn't a Gaijin anymore.

I was a hero.


End file.
